Passo Carrabile
An important sign to understand when in Italy and another obsession
Pronounced PAS-soh car-RAB-ee-lay, its simplest translation is “driveway,” but more importantly, it also means “tow zone.” It will be displayed with the universal “no parking” symbol (the circle with the diagonal line through it) — universal in the European Union, that is.
You will see it posted alongside entrances to courtyards, private parking garages, and even alleyways too narrow for cars to pass. For the latter, the space might be where trash bins pass through from a courtyard to the street for pickup. Typically, there will be closed doors at the sidewalk, which can disguise these spaces on the street, making one think they can park in front of them.
But don’t. You will be towed.
Don’t even partially encroach on the entryway. One of our neighbors called the police because someone parked maybe 18 inches into the 2-meter-wide entrance to the courtyard of her building.
I have a bit of an obsession with these passi carrabili (the plural form) — notably when they are open and allow me to see inside.
There is a wide range of configurations to be seen, making Passo Carrabile-spotting a fun self-imposed assignment while out and about with my camera.
