The new City Regulation in Rome has introduced many new laws that must be respected by locals and by tourists. Several points of the new law don’t allow the street vendors (especially around the Vatican and the Colosseum), jumping into fountains, dragging the suitcases on the historic staircases…

The rule that surprised everyone the most is the ban of sitting on the Spanish Steps. The staircase that connects Piazza di Spagna to the church on top, la Trinità dei Monti Church, is made of 135 steps, built in travertine and is categorized as a monument. This unique, worldwide known location, inaugurated in 1726, has been always one of the most important landmarks of Rome.

The ban has been introduced after the inappropriate behavior of many tourists throughout the years. It happened (and still happens) that visitors carve their names on the walls of the Colosseum, jump inside the fountains and, just to mention one of many, eat and leave the mess at the monumental stairs of the Piazza di Spagna. Now the marbles of the stairs are risking to be heavily and irreparably damaged by many of them eating on the stairs.

Therefore, the lunch at the Spanish steps could cost you much more than the one you would pay at the elegant restaurant located nearby. In fact, the fines are going from 250€ (around 280$) to 400€ (nearly 450$), according to what rule has been broken.

Keep in mind that Rome is an open-air museum, and there is so many other new rules that you might not be aware of!!