Live Cam Spanish Steps (2024)

FAQs

Why cant you sit on the Spanish Steps anymore? ›

The Spanish Steps Sitting Ban

Sitting on the Spanish Steps was banned after the area underwent a major cleaning and restoration project in 2016. The €1.5 million initiative was funded by the jewelers Bulgari, in celebration of their 130th anniversary. Reactions to the ban have varied.

Yes, sitting is not allowed on the Spanish Steps. The New York Times reported that a fine of 400 euros awaits those who will violate this ordinance.

With the advent of photography and then film, the stairs became the place to see and to be seen. The Spanish Steps gained even more exposure to the world audience through the 1953 blockbuster film Roman Holiday starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck.

Piazza di Spagna and the Spanish Steps can be visited at all hours of the day. You can sit on the steps and do some people watching (a typical thing to do on a lazy Sunday!) all year round.

And the fines are not insignificant. Starting at 250 euros ($280), tourists may be charged upwards of 400 euros ($448) if they've soiled or damaged the steps in any way. Restoration – at a cost of some €1.5 million – of the Spanish Steps was finished in October 2016.

The Fontana della Barcaccia (Italian: [barˈkattʃa]; "Fountain of the Boat") is a Baroque-style fountain found at the foot of the Spanish Steps in Rome's Piazza di Spagna (Spanish Square).

If you Jump in, You will Be Fined

Remember not to jump in the fountain! The local police will definitely catch you and will slap you with a 500€ fine! While you might see some people in the summertime try and go for a swim, the police act fast.

At night, be cautious in or avoid isolated streets and empty public transport stations. Although there's plenty of surveillance and police in central Rome, being careful never hurts!

If anyone is caught eating or drinking on the steps, they will be fined €400. So eat that gelato before you get here!

The name suggests that there was some Spanish involvement in the construction, but in actual fact the steps were designed by Italian architects and funded by a French diplomat in 1723! They simply took their name from Piazza di Spagna (The Spanish Square) which was in turn named for the Spanish Embassy to the Holy See.

Did Mission Impossible drive down Spanish Steps? ›

A climactic moment in the scene involves the Spanish Steps, when the Fiat bumbles its way right down the monument. The production was not allowed to let cars actually touch the steps, so they built a replica of the landmark on a backlot and tumbled the vehicle down there.

At the bottom of the Spanish Step is the Barcaccia Fountain!

The water in the fountain comes from aqueducts and is potable.

The Spanish Steps is one of the oldest surviving landmarks in Rome that were built between 1723 to 1726. It's worth visiting this piece of history and even walking up the 135 steps! The Spanish Steps look like a grand staircase with three different terraces which refer to the Holy Trinity.

Architecturally, they represent the longest and widest staircase in Europe. Historically, they bridged Rome's powerful French community with the wider Roman and Papal populace by connecting the square below with the French Church of Santa Trinità dei Monti on the Pincian Hill.

Architecturally, they represent the longest and widest staircase in Europe. Historically, they bridged Rome's powerful French community with the wider Roman and Papal populace by connecting the square below with the French Church of Santa Trinità dei Monti on the Pincian Hill.

“A couple of American tourists launched a scooter three times down the steps of Trinità dei Monti, damaging the third-to-last travertine step of the second ramp on the side towards the climb of San Sebastianello,” a statement from the city's Capitoline Superintedency cultural heritage office said Thursday.

Respect Local Regulations Visiting Trevi Fountain

It is forbidden to bathe, dip, or enter the Trevi Fountain, or any fountain in Rome. Visitors are prohibited from sitting on the edge of the basin. It is illegal to take coins that have been tossed into the fountain.