Video shows tourist climbing into Rome’s Trevi Fountain to fill up water bottle

A viral video depicts a tourist scaling Rome’s renowned Trevi Fountain to gather water in her water bottle. The incident, which occurred in the preceding month, captures the woman navigating a line of rocks to access the heart of the historic 18th-century fountain, while spectators watch in disbelief. Subsequent to filling her bottle from one of the fountain’s spouts, she endeavors to depart but is halted by a guard’s whistle. The guard approaches her, leading to a brief conversation, after which the guard escorts the tourist away. The fate of the tourist following the occurrence remains uncertain, and it remains to be seen whether she faced legal consequences such as arrest or a fine.

Entering the fountain can result in tourists receiving fines of up to 500 euros, as the fountain holds a prominent status as one of the most recognizable symbols of the city. According to legend, tossing a coin into the fountain’s waters guarantees a person’s future revisit to Rome.

Annually, an estimated sum of 1 to 1.5 million euros (equivalent to $1.1 to $1.6 million) in coins is gathered, benefiting the Catholic charity Caritas. During bustling tourist seasons, approximately 3,000 euros ($3,200) are tossed into the fountain each day, as reported by Rome’s tourism authority.

Presently, the fountain is positioned slightly below the plaza level. Access requires descending steps, although visitors often gather on these steps or perch on the fountain’s rim. Consequently, calls have emerged for the implementation of police checkpoints and continual foot patrols along the adjacent roads.

With the surge in international travelers to Rome post the Covid-19 pandemic, tourists have faced criticism for showing a lack of respect towards the city’s renowned landmarks. In June of the prior year, a pair of American tourists inflicted damage valued at $25,000 to the Spanish Steps in Rome. Notably, a month prior to that incident, a Saudi visitor drove a rented Maserati down the travertine staircase, resulting in the fracture of two steps.

In the preceding month, a tourist was captured on video seemingly engraving his name into a wall of the ancient 2,000-year-old Colosseum in Rome. This incident prompted Italy’s Minister of Culture to advocate for an intensive search to uncover the identities of both the individual responsible and his companion.

In various parts of Italy, tourists frequently engage in activities that raise concerns. For example, they often swim in the canals of Venice, which serve as the city’s sewer system. In August of the previous year, two Australians were seen surfing along the Grand Canal. Similarly, in May, Americans chose to go skinny dipping near the 14th-century Arsenale landmark.

In a separate incident that also took place in August, an Australian individual opted to ride a moped within the historic Pompeii archaeological site. Meanwhile, in October, an American caused damage to two invaluable sculptures within the Vatican Museum, allegedly as a reaction to being denied an audience with the pope.

Earlier this month, a group of young German tourists faced accusations of knocking over a valuable statue at a villa in northern Italy while posing for photos intended for social media sharing, according to the villa’s manager.