For more than a decade, images of Santa Maddalena, a small village church in northern Italy framed by jagged peaks of the Dolomite Mountains, have circulated online. But locals say it was last summer that the steady stream of visitors became a flood.
Now, authorities are stepping in to slow the flow, introducing new restrictions aimed at curbing day-trip tourism and easing pressure on the village.
Beginning in May, access to the village near the UNESCO World Heritage-listed church will be restricted by a barrier allowing entry only to residents and visitors staying at least one night in the area, according to the local municipality. Cars and tour buses bringing day trippers will be turned away.
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