The City Of Milan Will Ban Sales Of Gelato And Pizza After Midnight

Gelato illustration. (Wikimedia Commons/Chris Light)

JAKARTA - The City Government of Milan, Italy has issued a new regulation that will prohibit legendary culinary activities, part of the culture and attractiveness of tourists.

Tracing the rocky road to hunt for gelatos at night is part of the intrinsic culture of Italian culture for the residents of the city.

Apart from local residents, this activity is also a'mandatory agenda' for millions of tourists who visit the capital city of Italian fashion every year.

The old tradition could end in line with the announcement of a new law, in which Deputy Mayor of Security Granelli announced plans to ban the sale of food and drinks brought home after midnight, to maintain "calmity" in the city's 12 busiest districts.

"Our goal is to find a balance between hospitality and entertainment as well as peace and the health of citizens," Grenelli wrote on social media, quoted by CNN May 15.

"We believe in a living city, where the younger generation and the older generation have space they can share together," he continued.

The ban, which officials say is necessary to address excessive noise in residential areas, will also prevent companies from serving food and drinks outside the area between 00:30 a.m. to 06 a.m. on weekdays, as well as 00:00 p.m. to 06 a.m. on weekends.

However, it came under criticism from critics who said the ban was against Italian culture, calling for an amendment.

Secretary-General of the Milan branch Italian Retailers Association (Confcommercio) Marco Barbieri told CNN the ban "contrary to common sense."

"If an Italian family goes to eat pizza and wants to take a walk afterwards and enjoy the gelato, they will be fined under this regulation," he said.

He admitted that some residents felt disturbed by the noise. However, he added there is still room for compromise, such as keeping parks and other spaces open longer.

"Milan has many areas suitable for'movides' (partys) that do not disturb residents, need to be opened later, not closed early," he said.

Barbieri also thinks midnight is too early to stop sales. He said most young people in Milan didn't even think about going to dinner before 10 p.m., especially in the summer.

"We hope they remove gelato, water, and pizza from the list. Leave the alcohol ban, but do it later tonight," he said.

Previously, similar plans to take a crackdown were discussed by local governments in 2013. However, it was canceled after a strong reaction from the public, followed by the formation of a protest movement dubbed "Occupy Gelato."