When in Rome, visitors must behave or face hefty new fines

ROMAN CLAMPDOWN VISITORS TO ITALY'S capital are being warned to obey the old maxim - when in Rome, do as the Romans do.

A series of strict penalties are being introduced this weekend as part of a campaign to preserve artistic treasures in the Eternal City, which attracts millions of visitors every year.

Tourists are to be fined €50 if found snacking near monuments, while homeless people are to be banned from setting up makeshift beds in public areas.

Drunks, litterbugs and visitors loitering in central areas will face the wrath of local police, while a crackdown has also been ordered on street vendors as part of the effort to protect Rome's monuments and limit the effects of mass tourism.

Unless the situation is kept under control, misbehaving visitors will "irreparably damage the preservation of historical and art areas and monuments and the possibility to enjoy them," according to city official Davide Bordoni.

The ban stays in effect until the end of October.

Other Italian cities have also introduced similar policies.

Venice has banned picnics in public places and bare torsos in St Mark's Square, while Florence is clamping down on "squeegee men", who wash the windshields of cars and demand payment.

Mr Bordoni says police will have to use their judgment in deciding when to intervene. "It is obvious that some situations must be tolerated," he said.

© 2008 The Irish Times

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times