A woman visiting the Vatican, Sabrina Almeida, revealed she felt ‘humiliated’ when the security guards asked her to cover up with a sheet (that too when it was too hot) .
She went to tour the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museum. But, she was stopped by the guards and they asked her to cover up to follow the dress code. They gave a white sheet since she was wearing inappropriate clothing.
According to her, she was wearing appropriate clothes. Her shoulder, arms, and legs were visible, which were also covered in tattoos. Since it was a hot day, the tattoo artist and DJ chose to wear a black playsuit that ended at her thighs.
Her tattooed shoulders and knees were visible, going against the dress code. There is a mandatory rule to cover up before going inside the museum. The website for tickets also says the same, since people are coming to a religious place, they should dress modestly and respect the institution.
It also states that guards may prevent an inappropriately dressed tourist from entering. Sabrina claimed that she was pulled out of the line because of the shape of her body. She said it has always been an issue as she’s curvy. Other women that she saw were less modestly dressed than she was. The guards did not explain anything to her but asked her to wait.
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She stated if she was less curvy then she may not have been stopped and given a used sheet to cover up. She covered herself, tied the sheet around her neck to fall on her body, but that made her feel humiliated. She further said that the sheet made her look even more out of place and drew attention to her.
Vatican dress code. See…they have their own Fashion Police! pic.twitter.com/uNCMNBe1jj
— Joan Rivers (@Joan_Rivers) July 19, 2014
She felt like a mummy covered from top to bottom in heat. She did not want to miss the tour, so she complied with the rules. The Vatican rules are strict and do not allow visitors to dress however they want.
They need to cover their shoulders and knees. Sabrina sarcastically shared travel tips on social media that one should not wear shorts even in the heat. The Vatican hasn’t responded to this yet.
