Tourist who dived into Trevi Fountain while on run from police fined
Holidaymakers from New Zealand caused a splash in Rome on Sunday night
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A tourist in Italy has been fined €500 for jumping into Rome’s landmark Trevi Fountain while being pursued by police.
Three holidaymakers from New Zealand caused a splash when they were spotted wading into the famed fountain by the authorities on Sunday evening (23 February).
An unidentified 30-year-old man allegedly broke free and dived into the waters as the trio were being escorted away from the popular Piazza di Trevi area by police.
One of the most famous tourist sites in Rome, the Trevi Fountain was constructed in 1762 with over €1 million in coins thrown into its basin for good luck each year.
A spokesperson for Rome’s Capital Police told CNN that “alcohol was definitely involved” in the man’s choice to jump into the 18th-century water feature.
The fountain-diving tourist was reportedly fined €500 (£414) and banned from visiting the Italian landmark for life.
In December, the Mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri, introduced a new queuing system to prevent large crowds – a maximum of 400 people – massing near the landmark following a three-month restoration of the Trevi Fountain.
It’s not the first time that badly behavedtourists have caused trouble in Italy.
Last summer, Florence locals were outraged by a tourist taking a topless dip in a 15th-century fountain.
The English-speaking woman angered residents of the Italian city after she swam “mother nature-style” around the historic fountain at Piazza Santo Spirito.
In August, a 37-year-old British tourist faced a hefty fine from the Italian authorities after carving his family's initials onto a wall in Pompeii.
The unnamed man was caught by staff leaving his mark on the House of the Vestals – a Unesco World Heritage Site – and reported to the public prosecutor’s office in Torre Annunziata.
Photographs show the initials ‘JW’, ‘LMW’ and ‘MW’, believed to correspond with his daughters’ names, scratched next to the date (7 August 2024) and the word ‘Mylaw’.
The Italian Culture Ministry approved tougher fines for offenders caught damaging sites of historical and cultural significance in January 2024.
Penalties now range from €15,000 to €60,000 (£13,000 to £51,000) for any defaced monuments to be cleaned and repaired.
For more travel news and advice, listen to Simon Calder’s podcast
