American tourist is fined €500 for driving a Fiat Panda on the Ponte Vecchio bridge in Florence, Italy
US tourist fined £500 for attempting to drive his rented Fiat Panda over Italy’s famous medieval Ponte Vecchio bridge while trying to find a parking space
- A California man told police he was unaware he was even on the famous bridge
- He told police that he was looking for a parking space during his trip to Florence
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An American tourist was fined €500 this week after attempting to cross Italy’s famous medieval Ponte Vecchio bridge in a rented Fiat Panda.
The California man, who has not been identified, was reportedly looking for a parking space.
He told police he was unaware he was even on the famous bridge, which is generally crowded with tourists and is one of the most famous places in Florence.
An American tourist was fined €500 this week after attempting to cross Italy’s famous medieval Ponte Vecchio bridge in a rented Fiat Panda
The Ponte Vecchio is a 30m high landmark that crosses the River Arno, famously narrow and its cobbled walkway lined with shops.
The original bridge was built in 996 and completed in 1345, but has since been swept away by floods and rebuilt several times.
A spokesman for the city of Florence told CNN the man was also fined for driving without an international driver’s license.
The 34-year-old man attempted to cross the bridge in a rented Fiat Panda on the afternoon of January 26.
He was quickly stopped by police and reportedly told them he intended to explore Florence by car.
The bridge is the only one in the entire city that has survived the Second World War and narrowly escaped bombing.
It is about to undergo a €2 million renovation project.