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One of Italy's
most visited cities, Rome has long struggled to keep tidy
treasures such as the Colosseum, and tourists paddling in its
sculpted fountains have done little to help in recent years.
Angry headlines in Italian newspapers as temperatures have risen
in recent weeks have included "The incivility continues:
Tourists in the fountains and the flowerbeds" and "Monuments
under attack".
Mayor Virginia Raggi said people caught picnicking or camping
out on the fountains' pedestals, putting their feet in the water
or going for a swim would be fined up to 240 euros ($270).
"We need to protect our city, and good behavior is important,"
Raggi, a member of the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement, said
in a video posted on Facebook.
The decree imposing the fines, which start from a minimum of 40
euros, is valid for the summer season until Oct. 31.
"Rome's police has been tasked with monitoring these sites even
more closely," Raggi said in the video, filmed overlooking the
imposing white Altar of the Fatherland in central Rome.
As well as the Trevi, the list of monuments marked out for extra
protection includes the 500 year-old Barcaccia, a boat-shaped
fountain at the foot of the Spanish Steps which was badly
chipped by drunken football supporters in 2015.
(Reporting by Isla Binnie)
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