Kiwi tourist banned for life after diving into Trevi Fountain

Three tourists from New Zealand have landed themselves in trouble after they were caught wading into the famous Trevi Fountain in central Rome. 

As they were being escorted away from the popular tourist attraction, one of them, a 30-year-old man wrestled free from the police and jumped into the fountain as authorities chased him, according to a spokesperson for Rome's Capitol Police.

He managed to bypass the controlled area by climbing over the marble sculptures lining the fountain basin. 

"Alcohol was definitely involved," the spokesperson told CNN. 

The man was fined 500 euros ($832 AUD) and banned from visiting the iconic landmark for life. 

Each year, about a dozen tourists are fined for dipping things into the fountain, whether it is their toes or a water bottle, according to Roman police. 

Taking a dip in the fountain has been an aspiration for many tourists, who may have been inspired by Federico Fellini's 1960 film La Dolce Vita, where the main actress waded into the fountain in an evening gown. 

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Other ill-behaved tourists have tried stealing some of  the 1.5 million euros worth of coins that are thrown into the water each year. The money, is collected daily and donated to a charity. 

In 2024, the city introduced a limit to the number of visitors allowed to be in front of the fountain, to 400 at a time, with the access area open from 9 am to 9 pm daily. 

Image: vvoe / Shutterstock.com