A US Tourist Got Hit With A Big Fine In Rome & He Was Eating Ice Cream In The Wrong Spot

No matter how much you enjoy your trip to Italy, a hefty fine for eating ice cream will surely throw a damper on your holiday.

One very unlucky American tourist was slapped with a €450 (US $450 or almost CA $600) fine by the Italian police for eating ice cream on the steps of a historical fountain in Rome, reported The Guardian.

The 55-year-old was sitting on the steps of the Fontana dei Catecumeni with an ice cream in one hand and a beer in the other when police caught him early Saturday morning. Officers warned him to move and find somewhere else to sit, but he didn’t listen to the authorities, resulting in the hefty fine.

The fountain was built in 1589 and is located in a cozy square in the neighbourhood of Monti, a popular spot for people to gather and socialize at night.

The fountain had been sealed off on Friday to prevent people from sitting on the steps but the tape was removed later on, so when the tourist decided to take a seat there at 1 a.m. on Saturday, he apparently wasn’t aware that he was breaking any rule.

The upset tourist protested his fine, arguing that he wasn’t aware that there was a ban on eating, drinking and sitting on the steps of Rome’s fountains, CNN reports.

The rule was introduced in 2017 along with several other bylaws aimed at bringing order and decorum to the capital — and apparently making life harder for tourists. Those other rules include bans on swimming in fountains, dragging wheeled suitcases up historical staircases and going on pub crawls.

They even banned hanging laundry out to air-dry between buildings.

So if you're planning to visit Rome anytime soon, be careful where you sit!

Before you get going, check out our Responsible Travel Guide so you can be informed, be safe, be smart, and most of all, be respectful on your adventure.

This article's right-hand cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.