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5 Things that are Illegal in Rome

Posing is fine, taking a dip is not… Image by Oliver Astrologo sourced from Unsplash

Rome may seem like a carefree city and visitors usually have a wild time there, with clubs & bars everywhere and a generally loose attitude to life. That something might be illegal doesn’t even enter their minds. After all, graffiti is part of the landscape, most restaurants allow you to eat on the sidewalk, and… la dolce vita is one of the things that has originated here! Doesn’t it?

Well, it may be true… But to a degree. There are actually some huge no-nos that can get you in trouble while visiting! The local council has recently approved its first new “decorum rules” in over 70 years, and some of them are of particular interest to tourists, who might not know what kind of things are illegal in Rome when they visit.

The new code is a direct response to the changing times, and addresses some popular culture beliefs and practices as well as the cultural differences that may exist compared to other countries, with Rome becoming more and more of a cosmopolitan metropolis with hundreds of thousands of expats on top of the millions of tourists visiting each year.

Basically, the new set of city norms is a direct response to the adagio “… But I can do it at home!” Which doesn’t mean that it’s not illegal in Rome!

1. Flying a drone

Drone regulations are particularly strict all over Italy, image by David Henrichs sourced from Unsplash

This is the oldest restriction in this list, dating back to 2017, and it’s been confirmed by the new regulations.

Not only the ban is tied to the amount of ancient monuments in Rome that could be damaged by a drone falling; it is also connected to criminals potentially using drones to spy on government offices, sensitive targets (in the event of terror-related acts of violence) or even “just” to plan a burglary.

It’s a bummer about your expensive gadget, but before getting to Italy you should really do some research on where you can and cannot fly: it is going to be illegal in other cities of Italy, too.

Important: People found flying a drone can be fined up to 516 Euros, their quads will be seized, and they could be jailed for up to two years.

2. Eating on the steps of monuments/churches

Eating gelato is not an issue, provided you keep walking! Image by Priscilla Du Preez, sourced from Unsplash

There has been a lot of talk about this measure, which was recently launched in Florence, too. In Rome the issue is much more serious: trash and half-eaten sandwiches have often been found around the Forum!

Of course, it has to do with preventing littering, but this norm was also conceived to keep pests such as rats, squirrels, seagulls and pigeons from feasting on scraps.

Keep in mind that nothing will happen to you if you’re blissfully eating gelato and walking at the same time, or if you stop to have a break at one of Rome’s parks. This one targets specifically those who use the local landmarks as their kitchen table 鈥� that is the illegal difference!

Important: Fines for this misdemeanor are between 25 and 500 Euros

3. Bathing in water fountains

The Altar of the Fatherland is also the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Image by Vicky Hladynets sourced from Unsplash

It’s one of the most serious offences in Rome, and for good reason: many of the city fountains are made by the likes of Gian Lorenzo Bernini, so they’re proper works of art. Or they are part of a military monument, like the twin fountains at the Altar of the Fatherland on Piazza Venezia, which means that taking a plunge there is the same as desecration (the Tomb of the unknown soldier is higher up on the same building).

Important: While the average fine for this particular illegal behaviour amounts to 450 Euros, officials can 鈥� at their discretion – even deport the perpetrator from the city, with an “ASBO” (“anti-social behavior order”) of a maximum of 60 days for repeat offenders.

4. Drinking in glass containers after 10PM

Check the time when you decide to toast in Rome! Image by Epicantus sourced from Pixabay

One of the most popular tips for your nights out in Rome, at least when you read such forums as Fodor’s, Tripadvisor or Rick Steve’s, is to just go sit in a square with a bottle of wine and drink to your heart’s content while people watching.

While you can certainly do the latter, I am not sure where the idea originated that the former is ok – that is very much a 肠濒颈肠丑茅, probably straight out of a romance book.

Truth is, drinking in public is frowned upon by Romans (and Italians, more generally speaking). One of the new rules approved by the city council addresses exactly that 鈥� or so it seems.

As a matter of fact the new regulation is geared more towards those littering and leaving a mess of broken bottles or glasses in their wake: as a result, after 10PM glass containers can no longer be sold or used in public areas – only plastic containers will be allowed.

In the same vein, pub crawls, once so popular in Rome, have been made illegal.

Important: Fines for those drinking outside from glass containers amount to 150 Euros on average, with more penalties for the establishments selling alcohol

5. Attaching love padlocks

Love padlocks on a bridge, image by Sylwia Bartyzel sourced from Unsplash

Not many people know that love padlocks are (or shall I say “were”?) a thing because a YA book called “Three Steps Above Heaven” was once a thing: a novel written by Roman author Federico Moccia and set in the Ponte Milvio district. It was turned into a successful movie.

Its fame traveled far and wide and it spread this Rome-antic (pardon the pun!) custom all over the planet, but not without consequences. Famously, some streetlights fell under the weight of hundreds of locks big and small, and scribbled declarations of love usually came with it, with damages to some of Rome’s bridges and monuments, where the padlocks originally used to be left.

That’s why the mayor thought about banning the tradition altogether. This is one of the less worrying illegal things, to be honest: the love padlock custom has been going out of style for several years now (although I guess we could say that someone slow on the uptake is always going to be there…)

Important: Fines for those found guilty of this particular offence average about 250 Euros

And some more bans…

ASBOs have been greatly implemented for more than just dips in Rome’s fountains, as mentioned above. They are and will be used to deport illegal street sellers, scammers dressed as centurions (in case you don’t know: they offer to take a picture with you and then ask for a disproportionate amount of money to give you back your own phone) and people found dumpster diving. These are just some categories targeted by the decorum rules.

More illegal things include graffiti, attaching stickers and, bizarrely enough, hanging your laundry in plain view of passers-by: so as you can see these bans don’t just target foreign travelers!

Other restrictions include using pushchairs or wheeled suitcases down (or up!) landmarks such as the steps of the Ara Coeli church or the Spanish Steps, singing or playing musical instruments on public transport or even drinking by touching the metal of the spouts of public fountains with your mouth… Because apparently, one of the things the city of Rome cares about is their tourists’ health!