Italian Nuns Fight to Keep Beach: Spotorno Dispute Explained

In the coastal town of Spotorno, on Italy's Ligurian Riviera, a group of nuns is fighting to keep the 50-metre beach they have managed since 1946. The Spotorno nuns beach dispute has become the latest flashpoint in Italy's long-running battle over private beach concessions, pitting the Suore di Carità di Santa Maria against Mayor Mattia Fiorini and EU competition rules.

Why are Italy's beach concessions under pressure?

Italy has more than 7,500 kilometres of coastline, and much of it is carved into lido concessions where operators rent out sunbeds and umbrellas. For decades these licences were renewed automatically, but the EU's Bolkestein directive requires competitive public tenders. Italy's deadline is now 30 June 2027, after years of legal battles and government resistance. The EU beach concession rules have forced coastal municipalities to rethink who controls the sand.

The nuns' beach and the school it funds

The sisters have run the Bagni Gino Garrone lido since 1946, renting loungers and parasols to holidaymakers. The revenue funds an infant school and a summer beach camp for children. Sister Miranda, now in her 80s, has become the public face of the fight. During a heated council meeting she asked: "Why does the municipality want to take away our beach?"

Under the proposed plan, the area would be reclassified as a free equipped beach (spiaggia libera attrezzata), meaning free access but paid services. The nuns fear this model would slash their income and force the school to close. The sisters argue their charitable status has long exempted them from ordinary commercial rules, making the concession a lifeline for local children rather than a profit-making business.

Current concession vs free equipped beach

• Current model: Nuns hold the concession, rent sunbeds and umbrellas, and use profits to fund the infant school and summer camp.
• Proposed model: Beach becomes freely accessible; services run under a new tender; nuns would compete like any operator or rely on donations.
• Key difference: Guaranteed charitable revenue versus uncertain donations and possible loss of the school.

What Spotorno's mayor wants to change

Mayor Mattia Fiorini says the change is about fairness and legal compliance. Liguria requires 40 percent of beaches to be publicly accessible, but Spotorno currently offers only 3.5 percent free access. "They will have to take part in the tender procedure like everyone else," Fiorini said, adding that the nuns are welcome to bid for the concession like any other operator.

The standoff reflects a wider struggle across Italy, where similar private beach concession battles have erupted as municipalities scramble to meet the 2027 deadline. Some operators have warned of price hikes and the displacement of family-run businesses by deep-pocketed investors.

What happens next: tenders and deadlines

Spotorno is expected to publish its tender call between October and November 2026, with assignments planned before the 2027 summer season. If the nuns lose the bid, the beach would become a free equipped area and the order would depend on donations from beachgoers. The nuns say that would leave them unable to keep the school open.

The case illustrates the tension between tradition, charity and EU competition law that is reshaping Italy's seaside economy. As municipalities across the country prepare to open their beaches to public bidding, the future of Italian lidos hangs in the balance.

Frequently asked questions

Why are the nuns fighting over a 50-metre beach?

The beach revenue funds their infant school and summer camp. Losing the paid concession could force the school to close.

What is a free equipped beach?

A spiaggia libera attrezzata offers free access to the sand but charges for services such as sunbeds and umbrellas, instead of renting out the entire area to one operator.

When is Italy's beach concession deadline?

The national deadline under the EU's Bolkestein directive is 30 June 2027; Spotorno's tender is expected between October and November 2026.

How much of Spotorno's beach is public?

Only 3.5 percent is freely accessible today, against a regional target of 40 percent in Liguria.