In Italy, an American tourist who drove a rented car over a historic bridge was fined 500 euros.
The Ponte Vecchio in Florence is one of the most famous bridges in Italy. Built-in 1345, it has retained its original appearance to this day. This is the only bridge in Florence that survived the bombings of World War II. Initially, there were butcher shops on the bridge, today there are jewelry stores and souvenir sellers.
The Ponte Vecchio Bridge is one of the symbols of Florence, it is strictly guarded and monitored, so it is not at all surprising that the passage of cars on the bridge is strictly prohibited.
However, last week a 34-American tourist decided to ignore this ban and tried to cross the bridge in a rented car. Outraged residents called the police, who promptly arrived at the scene and detained the tourist. As a result of the check, it turned out that the driver, in addition, did not have an international driver’s license. According to the man, he was trying to find a parking space and did not know that he was driving along the Ponte Vecchio. The tourist was fined 500 euros.
This is not the first time the rules have been violated at historic sites. So, in May 2022, a 37-year-old tourist from Saudi Arabia decided to ride the Spanish Steps in a rented Maserati car. The tourist was charged with aggravated damage to cultural heritage.