American tourist chooses wrong spot to eat gelato — and gets $450 fine, Rome cops say
An American tourist sat down to eat a late-night snack in Rome and was fined, Italian police told news outlets.
The 55-year-old man sat at the edge of the Fontana dei Catecumeni at 1 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 3, The Guardian reported. The 16th century fountain is in a central plaza of Italy’s Monti district.
While there, he ate gelato-style ice cream and drank a beer, Italian newspaper La Repubblica reported, citing law enforcement.
Police officers approached the man — who did not move — and issued him a $450 fine, FanPage Italy reported.
Leaning against a historic fountain or sitting on its steps violates Rome’s urban “decorum” rules, a wide-ranging set of restrictions that intend to preserve historic sites, such as fountains and monuments, CNN reported.
The man said he was unaware of the rules and did not know he was violating them, La Repubblica reported.
The same night, officers conducted over 300 checks and issued 60 fines, including for noise and selling alcohol after allowed times, ANSA reported.
Google Translate was used to translate stories from La Repubblica, FanPage Italy, and ANSA.
This story was originally published September 7, 2022 at 1:19 PM with the headline "American tourist chooses wrong spot to eat gelato — and gets $450 fine, Rome cops say."
