Rome mayor Virginia Raggi has issued a blanket ban on ‘gladiators’ from the Italian tourist hotspots.
Actors dressing up as gladiators and centurions near tourist hotspots offer to pose for photographs with tourists for money.
The ban was issued after a number of complaints accusing the actors and rickshaw drivers overcharging and even pickpocketing tourists.
Anyone caught breaking the new regulation will face a €400 fine as Rome’s authorities attempt to “protect public order” and guard the capital’s “cultural, artistic and monumental heritage”.
Anyone caught breaking the new regulation will face a €400 fine as Rome’s authorities attempt to “protect public order” and guard the capital’s “cultural, artistic and monumental heritage”.
These latest bans replace an earlier regulation which had expired on November 30th, prompting the gladiators to return to the city.
Rome first decided to crack down on the unauthorized gladiators – whom authorities say make up to €12,000 a month charging tourists for holiday snaps – in November last year, when the city commissioner introduced an initial ban.
One of the main reasons for the conflict is that the gladiators often aren’t clear that there’s a charge for a photo with them, and while most savvy tourist manage to talk them down to a reasonable price, some are conned out of large amounts for a photo particularly if they haven’t worked out the conversion rate of their currency into euro.
The new regulation is valid until the end of July 2017, and anyone caught flouting it could face a €400 fine.
