US tourist fined for driving rental car over medieval Italian bridge - CNN

Rome (CNN) — The Ponte Vecchio, a beauteous centuries-old span spanning the Arno River successful the Italian metropolis of Florence, is champion viewed connected foot, with crowds of tourists regularly thronging the pedestrianized operation to presumption its past stonework.

Especially when, arsenic 1 California tourer discovered this week, attempting to thrust crossed it could outgo you much than $540.

The unnamed 34-year-old antheral was deed with a 500-euro good aft crossing the span successful a achromatic rented Fiat Panda car, and for driving without an planetary driver's license, connected Thursday morning, according to a connection from the City of Florence property office.

He told constabulary helium was searching for parking and didn't recognize that helium was connected the celebrated medieval bridge, according to the statement.

The Ponte Vecchio is enclosed, lined with shops and usually heaving with pedestrian traffic.

The 98-foot (30-meter) agelong landmark, which crosses the narrowest portion of the Arno River, links the Pitti Palace to Piazza Repubblica. The archetypal span was begun successful the twelvemonth 996 and finished successful 1345, and has been swept distant successful floods and rebuilt respective times.

It is the lone span successful Florence not bombed by Germany successful World War II. It besides houses the Vasari Corridor, a passageway primitively utilized by Duke Cosimo I de' Medici betwixt the Pitti Palace and the Palazzo Vecchio.

The City of Florence has earmarked 2 cardinal euros for an extended renovation project, according to the City of Florence budget.

The Fiat Panda operator isn't unsocial erstwhile it comes to tourists causing occupation for themselves by seemingly taking a incorrect crook into a celebrated Italian landmark.

Last May, a Saudi antheral was apprehended trying to permission Italy aft helium drove a rented Maserati sports car down the Spanish Steps successful Rome and fled the country aft the conveyance became stuck halfway. He was charged with aggravated harm to taste practice and monuments.

Top image: Florence's Ponte Vecchio span (Marta Carenzi/Mondadori Portfolio/Getty Images)