Tourist fined $450 for eating, drinking at historic fountain in Italy

• An American tourist visiting Italy was fined nearly $450 for eating and drinking from a centuries-old fountain in Rome.
• The Fontana de Catechumeni was built in 1588 and 1589 and restored in 1997.
• In recent years, Rome has passed a law banning eating and drinking near fountains to protect historic structures.

A tourist visiting Italy has been fined for eating and drinking at a centuries-old fountain.

Italian newspaper La Repubblica reported that the 55-year-old American was sitting next to the Fontana dei Catechumeni in Rome last week with a gelato and a beer. Local police told CNN the man “intended to drink and eat part of the fountain.”

The fountain was built in 1588 and 1589 and restored in 1997.

According to La Repubblica, the man said he was unaware of the laws that prohibit such actions near springs. He was fined €450, which is roughly $450.

In the year In 2017, Rome passed a law banning eating and drinking near the city’s historic fountains “to prevent events that conflict with the city’s decoration laws and to ensure adequate protection of the historical, artistic and archaeological capital of Rome.”

The ban also applies to other activities at the falls, including climbing, swimming, washing pets and throwing things into the water.

In the year In 2019, the city started fining people €400 if they were caught eating, drinking and sitting on the famous Spanish steps.