An unusual dispute in an Italian town. Residents complain about the silence at night

Pienza is one of the most beautiful towns in Tuscany. It owes this not only to its location in the heart of a picturesque region of Italy, but also to Pope Pius II, who was born in this town. When he sat on the throne of Peter, he decided to create an ideal city from his home village. He hired the architect Bernardo Rossellino, the reconstruction began from the main square, but the work was interrupted by the sudden death of Pius II. The plan was only partially successful.

However, even the unfinished Pienza is today a gem on the map of Italy. The historic center of the town has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. This makes Pienza one of the must-see destinations for tourists visiting Tuscany and the Val d’Orcia. Tourists can admire the clock tower on the main square, where the bell has been ringing for about 560 years. And this is what the dispute between local authorities, tourists and residents has recently been about.

People don’t like the decision

According to CNN, the historic bell tower was recently silenced at night in response to protests from guesthouse owners whose guests complained about the noise. The mayor of Pienza, Manolo Garosi, confirmed to the station that the bell was silenced from midnight to 7am, in line with Italy’s 2017 regulations that require silence during these hours.

However, some residents do not like this decision. As we read further, some of them complained in an interview with the Italian RAI station that the unusual silence at night … did not let them sleep because they were so used to the ringing bell. “We were born here, we heard it in the middle of the night. In absolute silence, it was a sign of life,” a local told the station.