Illegal act in the wealthy Italian region of Portofino

It's a picturesque, affluent European village visited by celebrities, but behind the scenes things aren't going so well.

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

Portofino, a playground for the rich and famous, was named Italy's richest municipality in April by the Ministry of Economy and Finance. In June, the municipality was sealed off to accommodate 800 guests attending an extravagant $240 million pre-wedding party for Anant Ambani, whose father is India's richest man.

Superyachts line up in the harbor and there are numerous options for upscale dining.

However, life in this famous fishing village also has some disadvantages.

With temperatures reaching 33 degrees this week, the hottest weekend of the year in the country, the village's 379 residents are looking for relief. EuroNews reported.

However, it was a challenge. They all had to obtain permission to use air conditioning in their homes because Portofino is a regional national park and the units had to be placed discreetly so as not to spoil the park's image.

Just a few years ago, the installation of air conditioning systems was completely prohibited.

Despite the scorching heat, disgruntled residents are reportedly telling each other off about using their air conditioners, and police are out on the streets listening to residents turn on their air conditioners.

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

Inspections were carried out in July and found 11 cases of people using their air conditioners illegally, mainly near La Piazzetta, the main square, where almost half of the units had been newly installed. The stamp reported.

Since the beginning of the year, there have been 22 further violations up to May.

Police warned offenders that they face fines of up to $83,000 if they refuse to remove the illegal units.

The mayor of Portofino, Matteo Viacava, explained the problem.

“It all started last winter when someone installed an air conditioning system that covered a large part of a very narrow street,” said Viacava The Guardian.

“Summers have become much hotter and July and August were sweltering and very humid. It's not that we want people to suffer and have their sleep disturbed by the heat… We all rely on air conditioning now.

“But Portofino is in a regional park and there are rules that must be followed.”

There have also been reports that drones are being used to search buildings, but Viacava denies this.

“We just want to make sure that the restrictions are respected and [the] The beauty of Portofino remains intact,” said Viacava The Guardian.

“They have to be placed in places that are not visible. Slowly, slowly we are putting everything in order.”

He said the move would “add more value to our village.”

In addition, there were strict measures against satellite dishes in the area.