The Trevi Fountain is one of the most visited sites in Rome:dating from the middle of the 18th century, its Baroque style and its extraordinary size (it is the largest in the capital) make it a majestic attraction that delights millions of tourists every year. Many of them also enjoy enjoying a good ice cream while observing the beauty of the construction, but it is a habit that is now a thing of the past. The city's mayor, Virginia Raggi, passed a law on June 12, 2017, which prohibits anyone from drinking or eating around the 15 most famous Roman fountains, as well as sitting on their rim. These new restrictions are in addition to the old ones which logically do not allow people to climb on the fountains, to bathe in them, to clean their clothes or their pets and to throw any other object than coins.
Violating any of these rules will be punished with a fine ranging from €40 to €240, according to information from the Associated Press taken up by the site The Local . These new measures, which will come into force at the end of October 2017, come after several recent incidents:a man bathed naked in the Trevi fountain in the spring and Dutch football fans damaged the Barcaccia fountain in which they left bottles of broken glass. “Everyone must respect the beauty of Rome […] We must protect our city, good manners are essential “, explained Virginia Raggi. The mayor also announced her intention to protect the churches of the city of Florence, by having the authorities monitor the steps of places of worship often chosen by tourists for picnics. The heritage of a city is infinitely precious, we believe that these new rules will only be beneficial for both Italian residents and visitors!
