Rome Just Announced Several New Laws Aimed at Rowdy Tourists
Tourists know a thing or two about bugging European city officials.
Rome is following Venice's lead by announcing Wednesday the city will be cracking down on disruptive tourism with fines and potential bans. The city council issued new laws that will prevent people from dressing up as centurion soldiers from the army of Ancient Rome and posing for photos with tourists on the street. Violators could be fined up to 400 euros if they're caught, according to CNN.
The city council is also adding alcohol restrictions and banning bathing in the city's fountains. Individuals caught drinking on public streets after 10pm will be stopped and possibly fined. And, if you were planning on hitting some Italian clubs till the break of dawn or joining a pub crawl, think again. Bars and clubs have to stop serving alcohol from 2am to 7am under the new laws. The city council said these definitive rules will "protect public peace and limit the phenomena due to negative behaviors related to excessive consumption of alcohol, especially outdoors."
When it comes to bathing in historic fountains like the Trevi Fountain, the Fountain of the Lions in Piazza del Popolo and the Four Rivers in Piazza di Spagna, the city council has enacted prohibitions and sanctions to prevent any bathing or misuse like throwing objects in them or climbing on them.
The city council says these new rules will "offer greater possibilities of action, new tools of intervention and sanctions on the local police, which cover many aspects of city life, with particular attention to respect for the artistic and cultural heritage of the capital, public goods, the rules about economic and productive activities on public land, occupation of public spaces, urban security, environmental decoration, public and private peace."
Rome and Venice aren't the only Italian cities to mandate new rules and regulations, officials in Florence could also fine you for eating a panino in certain historic places.
