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Spanish Steps Sitting is Now Banned

No longer allowed to sit on the Spanish Steps in Rome. Here's a link to a brief article. Fines are up to €250 if you're just sitting, €400 if you damage the step.

Posted by
1662 posts

I think it is a very good idea. Finally!

First, those who sit on the steps helter skelter pose a great risk to travelers trying to climb up and down

Second, those who sit on the steps block the beauty of them for travelers (and those looking to take a quick pic - from the Spanish Steps leading up to Trinita dei Monti)

Third, it is not a park - people sprawled out, sunning; leaving bags and backpacks scattered posing a hazard

Fourth, the city workers have to keep cleaning up leftovers (trash and cig butts) from travelers and the like costing the city money

Fifth, police have to patrol area a lot due to heavy pedestrian traffic; people trying to get away with things

Posted by
8293 posts

“Another reason to boycott Italy.”

Oh, for Pete’s sake! So you enjoy the sight of all those tourists spread out all over the Spanish Steps making it impossible to get by? Most of them are eating something, too, so that adds to the ugliness, as well as to the trash.

Posted by
3938 posts

We were there 3 days ago. There were 3 police officers at the bottom of the steps blowing their whistles from time to time to tell people to get up if they caught someone sitting or about to sit. We’ll see how long this lasts. It certainly made a a better impression and photo to see the the beautiful staircase spill up/down the hill.

Posted by
3948 posts

So after reading, I popped over to the webcam to see - and sure enough! There is a police person on site who looks to be nicely telling people not to sit (most seem to already know since there was a crowd, as usual, but very few sitting). But she was not issuing fines yet (in the few minutes I watched).

Posted by
4495 posts

“Another reason to boycott Italy.” Oh, for Pete’s sake!

I'm not completely serious but how many "Italian authorities attack the tourists" topics have there been recently? There was the coffee making canalside Venice one, then the fined on the vaporetto one, then the story about the tourists waved onto the train by the conductor then being fined one,

'A Rick Steves tour guide told me she was with a group in Monterosso in the Cinque Terre and were going one stop to Levanto. They had train tickets but hadn't gotten all the tickets validated. A train pulled in, the conductor saw their problem and motioned them to board. The guide told him not all the tickets were validated and the conductor said to board anyway. As soon as the doors closed and the train pulled away he started writing fines to those whose tickets weren't validated.

Bienvenuti in Itallia!!!!!"

It's like the Italians are treating the tourists like they are some overwhelming, destructive, oblivious swarm of locusts.

Posted by
3812 posts

you have listed a group of stories where the tourists either lied (the conductor did not fine them, there is a fee for on-board validation) or are to blame, not the authorities.

This is typical of some internet users with a stereotype in search of a confirmation: give many wrong info to build a Big truth since nobody will check them one by one. Another strange thing is that you decide: "this must be the truth" without saying: "how would the conductor tell the same story?" You know, two sides of the same story and so on... Don't you read Socrates in US high school anymore?

As a side note... "Let's let everyone sleep in the middle of the city streets making coffee on a stove in the morning in front of my house", said the guy writing from a country where Vagrancy and begging are a crime. Try to live in front of a stair that's occupied by a swarm of Loitering locusts 24/7, then you can tell the world there is nothing wrong in it.

There have been a lot of topics about authorities trying to lower the effects of mass tourism and not to change their cities into theme parks. Disneyland was built to host millions of tourists every year, not Rome. Visit Disneyland and boycott Rome, we couldn't be happier.

Posted by
1025 posts

As the world becomes smaller and its citizens reach out to discover and enjoy different places, what was good once is no longer feasible. The sheer numbers of tourists means that some, the inconsiderate ones, will do what inconsiderate people always do and make things uncomfortable for the considerate ones.

Picnics have their place, but not on the Spanish Steps or seated on the edge of a fountain. Years ago, I remember visiting the Vatican and getting close enough to touch the Pieta. There was no barrier around it. Now, because of the criminal acts of a lunatic with a hammer, it is behind protective glass. Selfie sticks may have their place, but not in the Vatican Museum. Times change, and the protective actions of the government of Rome and other tourist meccas are put in place to insure that future groups of visitors will find the sights roughly as they have existed for so many years.

Posted by
7595 posts

Haven't been to Rome since 1990. Hope the vagrants haven't take over like they have in Seattle.

Visited Seattle last year. Beautiful city, but the city allows vagrants and homeless to camp anywhere, even on the grass strips between the sidewalks and main city streets. It was terrible. Please don't tell me Rome is like that?

Posted by
7737 posts

I totally support this long overdue action by Rome. It had really gotten ridiculous how many people would park their butts on the Steps, not leaving room for others to pass, and leaving litter everywhere.

And, hey, don't slam Seattle until you come up with a solution for homelessness that doesn't involve arresting everyone.

Posted by
1286 posts

Given the dire state of Italy's economy, they aren't intending to kill the golden goose of tourism. These rules are just an attempt to reduce the impact on decent tourists (i.e. us), from riff-raff tourists (i.e. everyone else).

Since none of the rules in Rome or Venice affect me, I'm as self-interested as other posters on here and support them. Naturally, if they ever introduce a rule that impacts me then I'll change my mind and be critical.

However, I'm sceptical how long they'll actually bother to enforce this once the media has moved on.

Posted by
1662 posts

Oh I am sure there will be those who will practice their 'self-entitlement' and ignore any warnings. They will call a bluff. If that happens, police should just enforce what the new rule is - fines.

Posted by
597 posts

"Another reason to boycott Italy."

Thanks for the laugh Tom_MN... Even if everything you wrote were true, it wouldn't even come close to the reasons the rest of the world has to boycott the United States right now. As far as I am concerned, it's about time Italy took these, and other, steps to deal with bad behavior on the part of visitors.

Posted by
4023 posts

It reminds me of tourist problems that locals have told me while I've visited the U.S.

Lombard Street in San Francisco. I had a chat with a resident on the street, he told stories of people climbing his fence and then climbing onto his balcony to get selfies of the street in the background.

Acorn Street in Boston. A resident told me she's lost count of how many times she's almost tripped over people sitting on her step as she's tried to leave her house.

Must be those darn Italian tourists....

Italy is overrun with tourists. I travel off season now to avoid the chaos. Eric - the article I read said there are several new regulations. Do you know where to find that list? Thanks.

Posted by
2291 posts

It'll be nice to actually see the stairs next time I'm in Rome (hopefully next year!) instead of what looks like a wall of people as you approach.

Posted by
4023 posts

There are steps? Wish I could post a photo my wife took of me when we were there on a warm Saturday morning. After the fact, we laughed because It was a 'Where's Waldo' type of photo because I was completely lost in the sea of humanity, and you can't see the steps. We could have been anywhere. I guess we took a crowded and negative situation and now it's a fun and memorable story.

Posted by
65 posts

I think this is great news. I would hate to see Rome turn into Seattle, San Francisco, New York or Los Angeles.

Posted by
189 posts

"It's like the Italians are treating the tourists like they are some overwhelming, destructive, oblivious swarm of locusts".

As was mentioned in the article, Rome is an outdoor living museum and deserves to be treated with some decorum. It doesn't mean that you can't enjoy the fountains and Spanish Steps etc. You just can't sit on them, wade into them or eat while doing the above. Not really too much to ask.

Posted by
2168 posts

Scariest moment of our trip in May was trying to navigate those steps with a knee injury. Between the people sitting randomly and leftover debris, it was a long, scary descent.

Posted by
3812 posts

Let's remember those steps are older than many countries. If people sit there, there will always be some people that eat there. Waste made of olive oil and animal fats Does not Mix well with marble and porous stone.

On the other hand, being young in Rome and not sitting during the night on the Spanish Steps... Jesus what a s***y world we are leaving behind us for the young! Half of the things I did when I was 18 are forbidden, most of the countries I visited hitch hiking are off limits for security reasons, you are a walking target or a walking Wallet from Bosnia to India, the remaining countries are too expensive to be visited without mom's money.

The worst is that the young will never know what we stole from them.

Posted by
2097 posts

It's like the Italians are treating the tourists like they are some overwhelming, destructive, oblivious swarm of locusts.

I'm not sure if Tom is being sarcastic, but I've been places where his description of tourists is pretty spot on.

When we were in Rome a few years ago, they were still repairing the Spanish Steps and it was closed off. With the overwhelming crush of tourists, I imagine sitting poses a significant safety hazard. I blame it on Audrey.

Posted by
1394 posts

Michael, yup. I was just visiting a friend in Seattle and she was coaching me on the gentrification and lack of affordable housing that has made so many homeless.

Dario hate to tell you, Socrates was not on the curriculum when I graduated high school in 1982, I was a Philosophy major in undergrad, and I'm sure he was incorporated in my Logic class.

Posted by
2097 posts

Disneyland was built to host millions of tourists every year, not Rome. Visit Disneyland and boycott Rome, we couldn't be happier.

Dario, from my observation the majority of Americans would be just as happy visiting Disney's Epcot for their "European" experience.

I admit I'm an unabashed snob. I also realize I was blessed to have a chaperone on our high school trip to Europe who held a deep respect for European culture. We spent months preparing. Each of the 8 students was assigned a segment of the trip and we had to make a presentation to the rest about where we were going, what we would see and the culture of the citizens of that region.

Once there, we were expected to be good ambassadors (it was a People to People Student Ambassador trip). We were expected to display impeccable manners and respect. We went in late July/early August 1966. On this day (August 9th, 1966) we arrived in Rome to be greeted by a scorching heat wave (100+F).

Since then I have always traveled remembering I am a guest and as such should be on my best behavior. BTW, 3 of the original 8 will be having dinner together tonight.

Posted by
398 posts

I don't have any problem with banning cruise liners from Venice, or fining tourists for making coffee at the Rialto (although the fine was excessive IMO), banning fake gladiators and stopping people going into the Trevi Fountain. . All moves for the good - but surely people have always sat on the Spanish steps - it's a traditional thing to do - and why the numbers may have got out of hand , I'd always rather liked the throngs of mostly young people just enjoying themselves. To be it is part of the essence of Rome.

Are they going to cut the Spanish steps theme from Roman Holiday unless it gives people ideas?
(I'm slightly biased. My boss's sister, some 40 years ago ended up flirting with an Argentine man trying to sell flowers to those sitting on the Spanish steps. They were married within 6 months and have just retired from the bar they bought and ran in Pescara during the 1980s

Posted by
15679 posts

If people sit there, there will always be some people that eat there.
Waste made of olive oil and animal fats Does not Mix well with marble
and porous stone.

Quoting Dario above, the eating/drinking problem does appear to be the main reason for the ban. From a couple other articles:

https://www.thelocal.it/20190806/no-more-sitting-on-the-spanish-steps-rome-cracks-down-on

"The steps are a work of art, and you don't sit on works of art,"
agreed the head of a local residents' association, Gianni Battistoni,
who said it was too difficult to stop people eating and drinking on
the staircase any other way.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/08/07/rome-bans-tourists-sitting-spanish-steps-move-condemned-fascist/

The monument was cleaned and restored three years ago, with the €1.5
million project funded by Bulgari, the jewelers.....Cleaners removed
stains left by spilt wine and coffee as well as wads of chewing gum.

“This is a small return to civility,” said Gianni Battistoni, the
president of an association of businesses. “To try to check who is
damaging the monument by eating and drinking, you would need a police
officer for every tourist.” Better to have a blanket ban on tourists
sitting down, he told La Stampa newspaper.

Sort of like anything else? The sloppy, disrepectful or malicious few affect the privileges for all?

Posted by
5239 posts

Sort of like anything else? The sloppy, disrepectful or malicious few affect the privileges for all?

Very true Kathy although personally I'd much rather sit at a bar/cafe/restaurant with a view of the steps and enjoy a drink or meal rather than fumble about with some sort of picnic on the steps.

Posted by
3812 posts

Thanks to you Andreis I quit feeling guilty for June 10, 1940 and backstabbing France. Well done.

Posted by
1625 posts

I looked at the webcam at night and people were sitting on the stairs, mind you this was at around midnight and it was just a few people.
First time visiting the stairs (4 yrs ago?), under repair and closed off. Second time (2 yrs ago) we sat on the side stairs and watched as people were told No eating, so I think the no eating rule has been there for a while

Posted by
6265 posts

We were chided by police for eating a sandwich on church steps in Florence at least 8 years ago, maybe 10. No fine, though.

Posted by
4495 posts

Thanks for the laugh Tom_MN.

I intended that to be a laugh. There are too many tourists in the main Italian tourist places and people who have already visited them should stay away the rest of their lives, that's the ethical decision. There's no longer a way to visit some very popular parts of Italy without contributing to ruining at least the ambiance, if not also contributing to the degradation of the physical structure, so leave Venice, Florence, Pisa, Capri, Cinque Terre, top sites in Rome, etc to people who have never visited. Putting down the stair sitters and coffee makers (or whoever) may just be some people's way to feel better about the guilt they feel about their own contribution to the carnival atmosphere.

If you feel the need to revisit these tourist-saturated places pick January or February.