There was a moment when I had the Trevi Fountain all to myself. Sadly, it was during the wretched Covid-19 pandemic but I have to say I was thrilled there was no-one else there except for the local police.
The 18th century Baroque monument is one of Rome’s most popular attractions and it’s now surrounded by an array of takeaway pizza places, sandwich shops and gelaterias catering for the millions of tourists who visit the site every year.
Taking a dip in the fountain is a popular pastime despite heavy fines. Last week a New Zealander was the latest offender to dive into the water, prompting Italians to demand increased fines and greater security to protect the landmark.
A mandatory ticket system introduced in February has failed to deter the drunken and the daring from wading into the water often fully clothed.
Last Saturday a brawl erupted between two rival criminal gangs at the site forcing tourists to take refuge in bars and cafes. Three people were reportedly taken to hospital.
In the latest diving incident, a 30-year-old fully clothed tourist from New Zealand broke away from his friends and dived into the fountain.
At first he ignored police demands to get out of the water and did a lap or two before eventually being fined €500 and banned from returning to the site.
Video of the incident went viral in Italy, provoking calls for higher fines and even jail terms to deter badly behaved tourists and to safeguard the fountain.
“They think they can do anything they want in Italy,” one critic wrote on Facebook.
“The fine should be €5,000.”
“Immediate arrest and release on bail,” said another. “If you don’t pay, you shouldn’t get out.”
The fountain is patrolled by police 24 hours a day, while barriers have been erected to control the flow of visitors. Since February, tourists have had to pay a fee of €2 to reach the edge of the fountain’s basin.
In the first three months of operation, nearly 660,000 people paid to visit the fountain, generating more than €1.3 million in revenue for the city.
In addition, coins worth an estimated €3,000 are thrown into the fountain every day. That money is regularly collected and given to charity.
Roberto Gualtieri, the mayor of Rome, has proclaimed the ticketing system as a success and he seems to think it has reduced some of the chaos. But I am not so sure..
The New Zealander’s dive is the latest incident involving tourists behaving badly at the Trevi Fountain, as many attempt to emulate Anita Ekberg’s classic scene from the 1960 film La Dolce Vita.
Last year, a London-based tourist from New Zealand was stopped by police and fined for wading into the fountain on a Saturday night. He was also banned from returning to Rome.
Completed in 1762, the Trevi Fountain occupies one side of Palazzo Poli in the historic centre of the Italian capital. The water that feeds the fountain comes from an ancient Roman aqueduct, the Acqua Vergine.
