Photo from “Roman Holiday”

Are the days of being able to enjoy your gelato alongside the Spanish Steps the way Audrey Hepburn did in Roman Holiday over? It looks the they may be.

A municipal ordinance in Rome that went into force this month outlaws eating and drinking in areas of “particular historic, artistic, architectonic and cultural value” in  the city’s center, to protect the city’s monuments, which include landmarks like the Colosseum, the Pantheon and the Spanish Steps. Fines will range from 25 – 500 euros.  Similar laws have been enacted in other Italian cities as well.  Antonio Gazzellone, Rome’s head of tourism,said that visitors strolling with gelati, panini or pizza would not be fined as long as they throw away their trash and show respect for their surroundings. “It’s a question of civility”, he said “You wouldn’t eat a pizza and drop tomato sauce all over the steps of the White House in Washington.”

While the thought of not being able to enjoy my gelato from San Crispino while strolling by the Trevi Fountain saddens me a bit, I can see the merit in trying to keep the monuments clean and showing respect for their historical importance. What do you think?