Italian parliament weighs national ban on horse-drawn tourist carriages
A new bill in the Italian Chamber of Deputies seeks to outlaw traditional horse-drawn carriages in major tourist cities, signaling a potential shift in urban tourism and animal welfare regulations.
Italy’s Chamber of Deputies received a new bill on Wednesday that would ban traditional horse-drawn tourist carriages, known as "botticelle", in Rome and other major art cities. The proposed legislation seeks to repeal article 70 of the Highway Code, which currently authorizes animal-drawn vehicles for public hire.
The measure explicitly targets the use of animals to pull vehicles for public hire, non-scheduled public transport, and tourist, recreational, or ceremonial purposes. If enacted, it would override local restrictions with a comprehensive national prohibition.
The bill is backed by a coalition of Democratic Party (PD), Avs, and M5S lawmakers. During a press conference, PD MP Patrizia Prestipino, who also serves as the animal welfare guarantor for Roma Capitale, argued that patchwork local rules are inadequate. "Individual municipal ordinances that restrict the hours and activities of the botticelle are not enough," Prestipino stated alongside Avs MP Francesco Emilio Borrelli and M5S MP Sergio Costa. "We need to move towards a national law that abolishes botticelle and animal-drawn carriages in cities."
For Europe’s tourism sector, this legislative push highlights growing friction between traditional cultural practices and modern urban welfare standards. Environmental groups, including Amore A Quattro Zampe, have long warned that modern city streets are incompatible with animal welfare.
Recent extreme summer temperatures have intensified these concerns, with advocates pointing out that scorching asphalt makes it impossible for horses to work safely. This environmental and welfare argument is increasingly shaping public policy debates in historic European capitals.
Parallel to the parliamentary effort, Rome is rolling out an awareness campaign titled "A piedi è più bello" throughout August in main tourist areas. The initiative, produced in both Italian and English, is promoted by Rocco Ferraro, Rome’s councillor for Environment, Ecological Transition, Protected Areas and Animal Protection.
Ferraro has publicly endorsed the national bill, urging lawmakers to act decisively. He stated that Parliament must "seize this historic opportunity and approve a measure that will definitively end the use of horses for tourist transport in our cities." Emphasizing the need for modernization, he added, "In 2026, continuing to have horses pulling carriages in the heart of the capital is a practice that belongs to the past, not the future."
