(Bloomberg) -- Thousands of Italian cities shut off power at some of their biggest tourist attractions on Thursday evening, to protest spiraling energy costs.

Municipal authorities from across the political spectrum banded together to highlight their call for 550 million euros ($627 million) in energy-cost relief from the government, as gas and electricity bills have risen by more than 30% this year. 

Italy is working on an aid package worth several billion euros to soften the blow of soaring energy prices on families and companies, though Prime Minister Mario Draghi has so far resisted pressure to finance it by expanding the deficit.

While tourists may have been taken aback by the lights-out at landmarks like Milan’s Sforzesco Castle and Siena’s Piazza del Campo, city authorities said more severe outages may be ahead, potentially affecting street lighting or heating at schools. 

Forecasts for prices continue to rise, warned Antonio Decaro, mayor of the southern city of Bari and head of the ANCI association of Italian municipalities. Italian cities are “heading toward increases of 50% for electricity and 40% for gas,” Decaro told daily la Repubblica on Friday. 

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