Playground for the rich and famous threatens fines after locals try to beat sweltering temps

It’s a picturesque, wealthy European village which celebrities flock to, however all is not so well behind the scenes.

Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lopez, Madonna, Kylie Minogue and Princess Diana are among the high-profile guests who have visited Italy’s gem Portofino. In 2022, Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker got married at Villa Olivetta, located in the small and colorful village.

A playground for the rich and famous, Portofino was named Italy’s wealthiest municipality by the Ministry of Economy and Finance in April. In June, it was sealed off to host 800 guests for an extravagant $240 million pre-wedding celebration that was held for Anant Ambani, whose father is India’s richest man.

Superyachts line its port, and there are many fine dining experiences.

However, there are some downsides to living in the iconic fishing village.

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With temperatures soaring to 33 degrees this week amid the country’s hottest weekend of the year, the 379 residents of the village have been seeking relief, Euro News reported.

However, it’s been a challenge. They must all gain permission to use the air conditioning in their homes as Portofino is a regional national park, and the units must be placed discreetly so not to ruin its image.

It was only a few years ago that the installation of air conditioning units was totally banned.

In the midst of the sweltering temperatures, unhappy locals have reportedly been ratting each other out for using their air conditioners, with police hitting the streets to listen for those who date to turn them on.

Some residents even sent photos of the breaches in anonymous emails to police, Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reported.

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Inspections were carried out in July, which found 11 cases of people using their air conditioners illegally. These were mostly located near La Piazzetta, the main square, where almost half of the units had been newly installed, La Stampa reported.

Between the beginning of the year and May, there were a further 22 breaches.

Police have warned offenders they face fines of up to $83,000 of they refused to remove the illegal units.

Portofino Mayor Matteo Viacava has explained the issue.

“It all began last winter when someone put in an air conditioning unit that covered a big part of a very narrow street,” Viacava told The Guardian .

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“The summers have been getting much hotter and July and August have been sweltering and very humid. It’s not that we want people to suffer and have their sleep disrupted by the heat … We all depend on AC now.

“But Portofino is located in a regional park and there are rules that need to be respected.”

There have also been reports that drones are being used to search building, however this has been denied by Viacava.

“We just want to ensure that the constraints are respected and [the] beauty of Portofino is maintained,” Viacava told The Guardian .

“They need to be put in places that are not visible. Slowly, slowly, we are getting it all in order.”

He said that the move will “give more value to our village”.

There has also been a crackdown on satellite dishes in the area.

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