Blundering tourist, 43, fined £415 for driving bright-red Ferrari into world famous Italian square
A BLUNDERING tourist has been fined £415 after driving their bright red Ferrari into a world famous Italian square.
The American holidaymaker drove across the landmark, which is pedestrianised, much to the anger of locals.
The owner of the flash sports car, 43, was apprehended after casually cruising across the Piazza della Signoria, which sits in the historic centre of Florence, Italy.
It is usually packed with tourists, often visiting the Uffizi Gallery, which is home to some of the country’s most famous artwork, particularly a substantial collection of ancient sculptures and paintings.
Cops caught him after he parked up in the nearby Via dei Gondi after driving down the street in what locals officials described as a “nonsensical” manner.
He was fined €470, equivalent to around £415, for the embarrassing gaffe.
The fine was particularly large as a police check revealed that he did not have the correct paperwork to drive the Swiss-registered Ferrari in Italy, let alone on the Piazza.
A spokesperson for the Municipality of Florence said: “Checks revealed that the 43-year-old driver had an American driving license that did not comply with international conventions and did not have an international driving permit or official translation.
“A report was taken for parking in the pedestrian area, driving against the direction and having non-compliant foreign license, the fine was a total of €470, which he paid directly to the agents.”
It comes after an American tourist was fined last year for causing £20,000 worth of damage to Rome’s iconic Spanish Steps by throwing an e-scooter down them.
The unnamed woman was caught on camera hurling the scooter onto the Unesco monument in an apparent tantrum, before throwing it a further two times.