Man Arrested For Driving a Maserati Down Rome’s Historic Spanish Steps

Driving in a foreign city can be exciting, and in some cases, confusing. Sometimes street signs may be unrecognizable, or maybe one may be unfamiliar with the traffic laws. Unfortunately for one man, it resulted in damaging a historical landmark.

A 37-year-old man was arrested by police in Italy after security cameras shows him driving a rented Maserati Levante down the famous Trinità dei Monti stairs, aka the “Spanish Steps.”

Despite fleeing the scene, footage of the incident clearly shows the Maserati’s license plates. Local authorities were able to trace the vehicle back to the rental company based in Milan. While attempting to return the car, the driver was arrested at the Milan Malpensa Airport for aggravated damage to cultural and historical assets.

The Spanish Steps, a popular tourist attraction, lead from the Trinità dei Monti church to the Piazza di Spagna and were constructed sometime between 1723 and 1725.

News sources say that the 16th and 29th steps on the right-hand side of the staircase were fractured and needed to be temporarily repaired to allow use by pedestrians and tourists. According to Rome’s heritage protection body, some of the steps’ fragments were reattached but the extra reconstruction would be necessary to restore them completely.

“Widespread chippings, scratches, abrasions, and deposits on both ramps of the second level, attributable to the same event.”

Perhaps taking a taxi will make more sense next time.