In church you speak quietly.
sot-to-VO-ce — stress on third syllable. 'Sottovoce' = under voice = quietly.
Remember when entering Italian churches, even as a tourist. Many Italian churches are active places of worship. Speaking in normal voices, laughing loudly or making phone calls is considered very disrespectful.
Italian churches are simultaneously tourist attractions and places of active Catholic worship. Tourists visiting during services should behave as worshippers — quiet and respectful. Outside service times, quieter speech is still expected. Photography of worshippers in prayer is particularly inappropriate.
C'è una messa in corso.
There is a Mass in progress.
Explains why you must be particularly quiet at certain times.
Per rispetto, abbassi la voce.
Out of respect, please lower your voice.
What a worshipper might say to a noisy tourist.
Non si fotografano i fedeli in preghiera.
You don't photograph worshippers in prayer.
An important specific rule — photographing praying people is deeply offensive.
Italy has 98,000+ Catholic churches — more per capita than any other country. Approximately 97% of Italians are baptised Catholic, though practice varies greatly. Regardless of personal faith, respect for churches as sacred spaces is a deeply held Italian cultural value — even among secular Italians.