©MChe Lee via Unsplash
In May, a tourist from New Zealand suddenly plunged into the world-famous Trevi Fountain in Rome. It's not yet clear why he did so but he's already suffering from a hefty financial burden.
While tourists were also traditionally posing in front of the icon in Piazza di Trevi at that time, against the back facade of Palazzo Poli, a 30-year-old man suddenly gracefully dived into the water of the 18th century fountain. Images of his stunt were shared across the Internet. Was it a bet? At least the New Zealand tourist did not leave Italy unpunished.
After diving into the water, he began swimming around in the fountain. Tourists stared at him dumbfounded. The police, who are always present around the busy tourist attraction, immediately and explicitly asked the man to leave the water. However, the 30-year-old tourist refused to get out of the fountain.
After several minutes, he decided his daring stunt was over anyway. He was caught by the police soaking wet. The New Zealander was fined 500 euros.
Rome has been providing stiffer penalties for tourists who swim in historic fountains since 2019 because it damages the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Tourists caught will receive an immediate fine and must also pay the cost of cleaning up. The Trevi Fountain is visited by about 10 million people annually, making it one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world. Because of the huge crowds, Rome has introduced a visitor limitation since 2025 and people started paying admission to the Trevi Fountain since early 2026. A lot of people go to the Trevi Fountain on their city trip to Rome to throw a coin into it, as it is said to bring good luck. By the way, this provides a nice source of income for the city. The money is used for a good cause: Caritas Roma.
©MChe Lee via Unsplash - illustration image of the Trevi Fountain surrounded by tourists trying to score a snapshot.