New Delhi: Some swims are refreshing, and some swims are too expensive. A tourist from New Zealand learned that the hard way after paying a hefty fine for swimming in Rome’s Trevi Fountain.
The incident occurred last week and has since gone viral on TikTok and Instagram after a video showed the man jumping into the fountain fully clothed.
In the video, the man can be seen walking backwards before diving into the water again, despite police ordering him to get out, as reported by The Telegraph.
Since his impromptu dive, the 30-year-old, who has not been named, was fined €500, according to La Repubblica. Authorities also banned the man from returning to the location.
Social media users, however, are not content with the fine. Some commentators urged the man to be deported, while others criticised tourists’ lack of respect.
“€500 is small change. If it was €5,000 they would think about it for a while,” wrote one Facebook user.
“Immediate arrest and release on bail. If you don’t pay, you shouldn’t get out,” wrote another.
Others found the incident rather funny and deduced it to be a dare. One comment read: “But he forever gets to say ‘I swam in the Trevi fountain’ pretty dope.”
“He was fined 500. But he really jumped into the water because he won from a dare, winning him triple that amount, I’m sure of it,” read another.
The Trevi Fountain is an 18th-century Baroque fountain in Rome, Italy. It is famous as a romantic, symbolic landmark where millions of tourists toss coins over their shoulders to ensure a return to Rome. Coins worth €3,000 are thrown into the fountain every day.
The fountain is patrolled at all times, and since February 2026, visitors have had to pay €2 to reach the edge of the fountain’s basin.
Last month, American singer Katy Perry trended online after a video of her swiping her credit card in the water of the fountain went viral. In the video, Perry can be heard referencing her 2017 song, ‘Save as Draft.’
“Y’all, I told you in Save as Draft that I don’t f**k with change. But I feel like I need to put something in the Trevi Fountain for good luck,” the singer says.
Last year, another tourist from New Zealand was fined for wading into the historic monument. He was also barred from entering the location again.