Rome's Trevi Fountain fenced off, tourist antics go viral
Tourists visiting Rome are dissatisfied as access to the famous Baroque Trevi Fountain is restricted. Not everyone is content with admiring it from behind the fence. One tourist wanted a closer view and ended up causing a scandal, eventually landing in police custody.
2:02 PM EDT, October 17, 2024
Travelers heading to the Eternal City should anticipate disruptions and renovations. Many sites in Rome are being renewed for the upcoming Jubilee Year 2025. Among these is the renowned Baroque Trevi Fountain, often considered the most beautiful fountain in the world. Taking a photo there is a must when visiting Italy, but now it’s more challenging.
Video becomes an online hit
On social media, a tourist known as Merrsmith posted a video on her TikTok profile showing shocking scenes by the fountain.
The video captures a man who ran across the dry fountain pool and climbed one of the historic sculptures.
As soon as the young man squeezed through the fence and exited the fountain's pool, he attempted to flee. However, he was unsuccessful and was apprehended by police officers. Tourists in the vicinity witnessed the entire situation. The video shared by one of them on TikTok has already garnered over 131,000 views.
Tourists overdo it
This incident was not isolated, as police intervention has been required in similar situations. During last summer’s vacation, a tourist entered the fountain to fill her bottle with water. Also, last year, another woman decided to bathe in the fountain during the holiday season. Due to such incidents, police officers often patrol the area around the fountain.
