Mayor Bans Food And Drink Around Rome's Ancient Landmarks

If you have future plans to visit Rome and all of the landmarks that the city has to offer, you should probably consider eating before you go.

Giovanni Alemanno, the mayor of Rome, has recently established an executive order that makes eating and drinking anywhere in the city center a punishable offense, fining violators up to $650, according to Time NewsFeed. The ban includes favorite tourist hot spots like the area around the Colosseum, which dates to the first century A.D., the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, and the iconic Spanish Steps.

Visitors dropping liquids have damaged monuments and fountains, and Alemanno stated in the ordinance that he has had enough of "episodes in contrast with the most elementary norms of urban decorum."

Paolo Gelsommi, spokesperson for resident activists and supporter of the campaign, believes that the new ordinance does not go far enough, according to an interview with Italy's La Repubblica.

"We have an ordinance against alcoholic drinks, one against pub-crawls, and one in the future against capri pants, but we still need a new law to give this city back its dignity," said Gelsommi.

Not everyone is in favor of the new ordinance, however, and they are beginning to fight the "anti-panino" decree. Recently, a flash mob arrived at the Piazza del Campidoglio with sandwiches, pizza slices, and ice cream cones in hand, holding banners with the slogan "Panino Is Not a Crime." Five people were fined for eating, according to the Corriere della Sera.

Nikki Maniscalco is a Junior Writer for The Daily Meal. Follow her on Twitter @NikkiMarie2116