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Marymount - International School Rome

More swimmers in Rome's Bernini fountain

Latest incident of illicit bathing at Baroque monument.

Two Italian men were spotted bathing in Bernini's 17th-century Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi in Piazza Navona in the early hours of 23 July.

swimmers
Photo Lohrie Alaras

The photograph was taken by Lohrie Alaras from Rome, who told Wanted in Rome that — judging by the men's accents — they appeared to be Roman. No photographs exist of the men swimming but if the information provided to us is correct then their actions should have been detected by the closed circuit television cameras which monitor the square.

This is the latest in a series of similar recent incidents, the most infamous of which was recorded by Victoria Wyatt and first reported by Wanted in Rome, before being picked up by numerous Italian and international newspapers, as well as local politicians.

Photo Victoria Wyatt
Photo Victoria Wyatt

That incident involved three American tourists — two men and one woman — who swam around the same Baroque fountain for 20 minutes at 03.00 on 13 July, without being arrested.

Photo Victoria Wyatt
Photo Victoria Wyatt

The fountain was damaged in May 2013 after a group of 20 foreign students jumped off the ancient monument. Closed circuit television footage showed one girl climbing along the fragile tail of the dragon. The group escaped on foot as the police arrived.

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