The authorities of Emilia Romagna have won plaudits from environmentalists, astronomers and romantic souls for moves to save the region's starry nights.
The regional government has just approved a package of measures that wage war on 'light pollution'.
As well as making it difficult for amateur astronomers to see the night sky, this problem creates a series of environmental and health hazards, experts say.
Light pollution is generally caused by lighting that misses or over-illuminates its target.
Lighting accounts for about a quarter of worldwide energy consumption, but studies have shown that over half of building lighting is unnecessary.
The energy used to generate this light is needlessly contributing to climate change, via the emission of carbon dioxide caused by the burning of fossil fuels.
Biologists say this form of pollution also disrupts the natural patterns of light and darkness that fauna and flora depend on.
Blooming flowers that are pollinated by moths, for example, may be damaged by night lighting, as there is no replacement pollinator that would not be affected by the artificial light.
Animal navigation can get confused - migrating birds can be disoriented by lights on tall structures - and predator-prey relations change, they say.
Doctors also believe light pollution can have a negative impact on human health, contributing to headaches, fatigue, stress and possibly even a loss of sexual appetite.
The Emilia Romagna package of measures bans the lighting of building exteriors from below and the permanent use of moving or fixed lighting systems for advertising.
All external lighting will have to be provided by energy-saving low intensity systems.
Furthermore, all outside lights will have to be turned off or down at a certain time of night set by the region's town councils.
The councils will have the job of making sure the new regulations are respected.
They have a good incentive to do so. The money raised from the fines, which go from 500 to 2,500 euros, will flow into the municipal coffers.
