American tourist fined after parking Ferrari in middle of famous Florence plaza

An American tourist has been fined for parking his Ferrari in a famous Florence tourist plaza.

The man from the US drove his red sports car into Piazza della Signoria on Monday 20 March.

The tourist was spotted driving in the wrong direction across the pedestrianised, public square, which dates back to the 14th century.

He was also driving without an international licence when police stopped him after he’d parked the Ferrari spider at the plaza.

The tourist was reprimanded by police at the scene and received a €470 (£416) fine on the spot.

Statues in the plaza include a replica of Michelangelo’s David. The original was positioned outside Florence’s city hall, Palazzo Vecchio – which overlooks the square – until the 19th century.

Popular tourist spot Uffizi Gallery is adjacent to the square too.

Piazza della Signoria is the civic centre of Florence and is usually busy with both residents and tourists.

The Municipality of Florence released a statement about the incident.

“Checks revealed that the 43-year-old driver had an American driving licence that did not comply with international conventions and did not have an international driving permit or official translation,” a Municipality of Florence spokesperson said.

“A report was taken for parking in the pedestrian area, driving against the direction and having non-compliant foreign licence, the fine was a total of €470, which he paid directly to the agents,” the statement added.

This is the latest in a string of fines issued to tourists by Italian police in a bid to protect local landmarks.

In summer 2022, a British tourist was fined £442 for dipping his feet in Rome’s Piazza di Spagna fountain.

Also in Rome, a tourist was fined £398 for eating ice cream while sitting on the edge of a fountain last September.

Meanwhile, in July 2022, an American tourist was banned for life from Rome’s Spanish Steps after causing £21,000 worth of damage while riding an e-scooter.