Men and women have been segregated by a ‘Berlin Wall’-style partition at a popular beach for decades and local residents are happy for it to stay that way.
It is a little known fact that a coastal hotspot in Europe segregates the sexes, and Spanish-language media reported on the beach’s unique history this week.
El Pedocin Beach in the north-eastern Italian city of Trieste was officially opened to the public in 1903, however the walled partition dates back to 1890.
The 250-metre- (820-foot-) long coastal strip is treasured by local residents who feel comfortable with the wall as they can quietly go about their business, safe from judgemental eyes. Women may sunbathe topless, however full nudity is prohibited.
Beach manager Mauro Lokar said the partition dates back 1890 and that it would be “like demolishing a historical fountain” if the authorities were to tear it down.
He added: “It is part of the town’s tradition. Of that, there is no doubt.”
The wall is made of concrete, painted white, and extends into the Adriatic Sea.
Meanwhile, the beach is open all year round and boasts around 3,000 visitors a day in the summer.
However, current COVID-19 measures only allow for 375 women and 175 men to visit the beach, which costs them EUR 1 (GBP 0.85) at the entrance.
The beach is mainly visited by elderly women and mothers although it is also common to see Orthodox Jews there too.
Eugenio Bevitori, a member of the Trieste Jewish community, said that “El Pedocin is an example of a forgotten Trieste” and that “many hold it dear in their hearts”.
Local resident Meri told the Spanish newspaper El Mundo: “Here, we can be how we want, we feel freer. For example, elderly or overweight women can go topless.”
The beach, which is officially called Lanterna but is nicknamed El Pedocin by locals, was opened to the public in 1903 when the region was governed by the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
The tradition of the partition continued under Italy’s fascist regime led by Benito Mussolini, and the subsequent occupation by the Allied Forces during World War II.
There was so much debate about the wall that a referendum was held in 1943 and voters decided to keep it.
In the decades since, men and women are more than happy to walk through different entrances to sunbathe at opposite ends of the beach with the wall separating them.
