Tourist fined $450 for eating on steps of historic Rome fountain

An American tourist got slapped with a hefty $450 fine for eating ice cream and enjoying a cold beer as he was sitting on the steps of the Fontana dei Catecumeni in Rome, Italy.

The tourist, who was vacationing in Italy’s Monti district, was fined for breaking one of Rome’s ‘urban decorum’ rules. The man, whose name was not revealed, was enjoying a delicious gelato and drinking a cold one when he was approached by Italian police on Saturday around 1 a.m. before the ticket fiasco took place. 

The historic landmark, located in Rome’s Piazza Madonna, is modest and unassuming but dates back to 1859. Thousands of tourists flock to the historic site each year, and, to help deter visitors from leaning on the stairs, protective tape has been place at the site.

The popular gathering place was meant to be been cordoned off with tape, but was not when the man sat down to enjoy his midnight snack, he said. According to the local La Repubblica, when Italian officials first approached the man and asked him to move away, he did not.

The tourist claimed he did not understand what the officers were saying. But once the visitor was hit with the massive fine, he apparently understood loud and clear and didn’t appear very pleased. ‘I didn’t know the rules; I didn’t know I couldn’t sit down. I didn’t understand what you were saying to me,’ the tourist said, according to the news outlet. Pictured: A police officer stands outside the Colosseum in Rome on September 2, 2022. 

The fountain was taped off as part of a slew of new rules introduced by former mayor Virginia Raggi in 2017. The tape was meant to discourage people from eating and drinking while sitting at Rome’s fountains. Pictured: Fontana dei Catecumeni in Piazza della Madonna dei Monti.

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