SELFIES are allowed, but sitting is forbidden: Police officers have recently been blowing their whistles at tourists on the Spanish Steps in Rome if they see them sitting down on the Eternal City’s famous staircase.
A policeman at the site said the new rule about sitting on the stairs has been in force for a month. It is based on a catalogue of measures revised by the city council that has been in force since the beginning of July.
It is also forbidden to refresh oneself in the Trevi fountain, while it is expressly permitted to toss coins into the city’s historic fountains. The municipality intends to impose fines of up to 400 euros for misconduct in public places.
The 18th-century staircase by architect Francesco De Sanctis is one of the most famous constructions in Rome. The city’s inhabitants have repeatedly complained about people camped out on the stairs.
Rome isn’t the only Italian city to start taking strict action against tourists. In July, two German tourists made headlines for making coffee at the Rialto Bridge in Venice with their own cooker. Another tourist was found sunbathing in a bikini in a park in Venice. – dpa
