Rome tourists fined €500 for snacking under new law

Stock photo, the Pantheon, Rome: PA

Eating a pizza in front of the Pantheon may sound like a reasonable thing to want to do in Rome, but tourists could now face hefty fines for munching near famous monuments in Italy's capital city.

The city's council has introduced a new law prohibiting tourists from eating pizza, sandwiches, panini or any other snacks near Rome's iconic architectural landmarks in the "centro storico", or historic centre.

They include the marble fountains of Piazza Navona, the stone walls that surround the Pantheon, and the Via die Fori Imperiali, the approach to the Colosseum.

Fines will range from 25 euros up to a whopping 500 euros.

According to the Telegraph, the ordinance adopted by Rome city council reads: "It is forbidden to encamp or erect makeshift shelters and stop to eat or drink in zones which have a particular historic or architectural value."

The law is intended to "guarantee the protection of areas of merit in the historic centre", and similar bans have been adopted in Venice, where eating snacks on the street is prohibited in St Mark's Square.

Viviana Di Capua, from an association of residents who live in the historic centre, said: "At the moment people can do anything they like in this city. We need to restore respect. It's just a first step – a lot more needs to be done."

Last year, Rome's mayor announced plans to smooth over the city's iconic cobblestones in a bid to preserve them - as well as to make it easier for female tourists to walk on them in high heels.

Announcing the makeover plan, Mayor Gianni Alemanno said he wanted to make the paving "less dangerous... especially for women in heels". The smoothing-out operation will include Via del Corso, one of Rome's central and most popular roads among fashionistas and tourists alike.

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