An Italian man scaled Rome's iconic Trevi Fountain and plunged into the water to the applause of dozens of tourists, who watched and filmed the breach before police apprehended him.

The event happened on Thursday night and several of the videos, in which the man is observed accessing the monument, climbing it and swimming in it without any resistance, were widely disseminated on social networks.

This is a 48-year-old Italian who received a fine of 450 euros in addition to a complaint for public disorder, according to the local press.

“It is no longer tolerable. This is pure barbarism that we do not want to ignore, as well as the complicit applause of those present is very worrying,” protested the Rome councilor for tourism and major events, Alessandro Onorato.

The inhabitants of Rome have spent months denouncing the excesses committed by some tourists against their heritage in the height of the high season.

In the last month, up to three people have been denounced for damaging the Colosseum in Rome by inscribing their names on the walls, the latest case being that of a 17-year-old German student who was traveling with a teacher and was caught scratching a wall. .

This new case came to light a few hours after it became known that a 17-year-old Swiss girl was videotaped while writing the initial of her name on one of the walls of the Colosseum, as happened a few weeks ago with another tourist from From United Kingdom.

Both offenders were denounced and face a fine of up to 15,000 euros for damage to cultural property.