Rome Mayor Ignazio Marino is considering increasing fines for those caught jumping into the city’s fountains as part of a plan that will also see €50,000 injected into sprucing the treasured monuments up.

Fifty of the capital’s fountains, including the Barcaccia fountain at the bottom of the Spanish Steps, will be restored between now and the end of September, Marino said on Tuesday.

“Rome has the luck of having dozens of historic fountains and we have decided to restore the top 50," Marino was quoted by Ansa as saying.

"We want to make our city increasingly beautiful and the fountains play a role in decorum and in the welcoming of tourists.”

The mayor also sent out clear message that taking a dip in the fountains is not free, regardless of how hot it is.

Fines are already almost a couple of hundreds euros and now Marino said he would propose increasing them.

bbabo.Net