Rome, Italy – A video recently surfaced online, capturing a woman’s shocking act of walking across Rome’s iconic Trevi Fountain to fill her water bottle. This incident, which occurred in July, has left netizens appalled and dismayed by her blatant disregard for the historic landmark. The woman, whose identity remains unknown, brazenly ignored posted signs warning against entering the water, prompting a security guard to intervene.
In the footage, the woman wades through the water at the fountain’s base, making her way to its back rocks. Wearing a blue top and white khakis, she opens her water carrier and fills it with the fountain’s water. Fellow tourists looked on in disbelief as the scene unfolded.
A woman stunned onlookers as she walked across the Trevi Fountain and used one of Rome’s most iconic tourist attractions to fill up her water bottle. pic.twitter.com/3rWlx03AvA
— Storyful (@Storyful) August 14, 2023
Despite clear signage prohibiting such actions, the woman carried on with her disrespectful behavior until a security guard approached. A brief exchange followed, during which the woman seemed to explain herself before being escorted away from the site.
The incident was widely shared on social media by news outlets, garnering widespread attention and condemnation. Netizens expressed their frustration with the growing number of tourists disrespecting historic sites across Europe. This latest incident drew comparisons to similar instances where tourists have ignored rules and damaged cultural landmarks.
Critics took to social media to voice their displeasure, with some labeling the woman as a “Karen” and speculating about her nationality. Calls for penalties and fines echoed through comments, while others questioned the woman’s motives for such an action.
Lex Jones, a witness at the Trevi Fountain during the incident, captured the video that was later shared on Twitter by Storyful. Jones described his disbelief and decision to record the act due to the blatant violation of posted rules.
The fate of the woman involved remains uncertain, with no information available regarding potential legal repercussions or fines. Furthermore, her motivation for filling her water bottle in such a manner remains unclear. The Trevi Fountain’s water source is traced back to the ancient Aqua Virgo.
This incident joins a string of similar acts at historic European sites, especially in Italy. In a previous incident, a person dived into the Trevi Fountain while onlookers cheered. The incident drew strong criticism from Alessandro Onorato, a councilor in Rome, who characterized it as a “barbaric” affront to the city’s cultural and historical heritage. Onorato called for stricter regulations on accessing the fountain.
Italy’s cultural treasures have faced other instances of vandalism. Notably, a man was caught carving names into the walls of the Colosseum, and a valuable sculpture was destroyed by tourists in Lombardy.
These incidents have prompted local officials to demand accountability and compensation for damages inflicted by careless visitors.
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