Shock in Rome after ‘animal’ tourists bathe naked in iconic fountain (VIDEO)
Two English-speaking tourists have drawn the ire of Romans as footage of them emerged stripping and posing in one of Rome’s most popular fountains. It prompted some to call for Rome’s tourism to stop.
In a viral video, the two men, who police say appeared to be native speakers of English, can be seen climbing in the fountain beneath Rome’s Altare della Patria (Altar of the Fatherland), also known as the Vittoriano. It is one of Rome’s most iconic sites, attracting millions of tourists each year. Located at the heart of Piazza Venezia, one of the capital’s most popular squares, it was erected in memory of those fallen during World War I.
The men climb in with only their boxers on, but it’s not long before they decide to slip them off to pose for some nude pictures.
WARNING: VIDEO CONTAINS IMAGES OF NUDITY
Police say they are trying to trace the identity of the men, whose acts “seriously offended the national sentiment and the memory of those fallen and to whom the monument is dedicated.”
Locals have taken to Twitter to condemn the “shameful” act.
One suggested it may be the time to “stop tourists from coming to Rome all together.”
si però adesso basta, le vogliamo mettere ste guardie a proteggere i monumenti? o forse sarà il caso di non farli più venire sti turisti a Roma? magari per dare un monito....
— Angelo S (@ducadigualdo) August 20, 2018
Another said: “Why don’t we teach tourists that Italy is history and as such deserves respect? As an Italian I am outraged.”
Ieri turisti stranieri hanno pensato bene di farsi il bagno nudi nella fontana storica di piazza Venezia. Perché non insegniamo ai turisti che l'#Italia è STORIA e come tale MERITA RISPETTO?Da #italiano mi sento indignato! 😠@BonisoliAlberto@matteosalvinimi@VittorioSgarbi
— Gabriele Romeo (@Gabriele__Romeo) August 20, 2018
As no officers intervened to stop what was called a “disgusting” scene, one Italian said: “What a horrible scene. The tourists should’ve been stopped, identified, brought to the police station and brought to authorities.”
Che schifo! Che orrenda sceneggiata! Che figura maleodorante! Turisti che andavano fermati, identificati, accompagnati in caserma, multati e deferiti all’autorità... https://t.co/wsK80L9ad7
— Pino Nazio (@PinoNazio) August 20, 2018
Another said you would need a “psychiatrists’ manual” to understand the tourists’ behavior.
E' anche difficile commentare. Ci vuole un manuale di psichiatria.
— Carla Vistarini (@charliecarla) August 19, 2018
It was followed by Giovanni Biancofiore, who stingingly said the tourists may be “animals who are used to showering in fountains.”
Che animali, forse sti porci sono abituati a lavarsi nelle fontane!
— Giovanni Biancofiore (@giobiancofiore) August 19, 2018
The incident comes just after two Canadians were fined €450 (US$514) for bathing in the iconic Trevi Fountain at around 5am on August 13.
The couple, a man and a woman in their 30s, attempted to dip into the 18th century fountain at 2:30am but were stopped by authorities. Determined to conclude their stunt, they returned to the fountain and threw themselves into the water.
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