Rome was not built in a day, the stairs of Trinity of the Mounts, either. In order to protect one of its architectural jewels, the Italian capital city forbidden to sit and eat on the steps leading to the building, under penalty of heavy fines. A regulation of the city police, which dates back to the beginning of the summer, provides for the prohibition to install in public places “from indecent manner or contrary to decorum” and “sit down by consuming food or beverages on property or assets of historical, artistic, archaeological and monumental”, including fountains and stairs.

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the key of this regulation is now applied to the staircase of the trinità of the Mountains, a fine of 150 euros which may be increased to 400 euros in the case of “serious behavior,” according to the Italian media. Police officers rang on Tuesday all the tourists tempted to sit on the famous steps, found the AFP.

The stairs overlooking the plaza of Spain, one of the most famous tourist sites of the Italian capital, was reopened to the public in September 2016, after a year of work. Overshadowed by the pollution, but also stained by chewing gum, and stains from wine or coffee, “Unique” regained its whiteness original. The staircase designed by the architect Francesco de Sanctis between 1723 and 1726 on the initiative of France, to which belongs the church of the trinità of the Mountains and consists of 135 steps on three levels, had not been restored in the past 20 years.

“We do not sit on a masterpiece”

After these new works, a controversy was born at Rome between the partisans of a night closure, fearing to see the return of homeless people and street vendors, and opponents. But the mayor Virginia Raggi, after the Five Stars Movement (antisystème), had preferred that the staircase remains accessible day and night to the public, while promising to do everything to avoid the degradation with police checks.

The ban on parking see new two camps forming. “This measure makes it possible to recuperate a minimum of civility. The stairs are a masterpiece of art We do not sit on a masterpiece. Otherwise, you can’t enjoy the beauty of the landscape because people camped out in front,” says Gianni Battistoni, fashion designer and president of the association of the via Condotti which leads directly to the plaza of Spain.

“agreement to preserve the monument. It is normal not to be able to eat on the marble, but the ban of sit seems to me to be excessive. I have the impression to see a measure of fascist order that the town will need to reconsider. Because since the world is world, the passing traveler sits down on the steps and stops to admire the landscape”, said Vittorio Sgarbi, art critic and Italian politics.