American tourist, 43, fined $500 for driving a FERRARI in Piazza della Signoria in Florence
- Tourist found himself $500 poorer after driving a Ferrari through a plaza
- The man was fined 470 euros, or approximately $506, on the spot.
- It turned out that he did not have a driver’s license anywhere in the country.
An American tourist living an Italian fantasy found himself $500 less after driving a Ferrari the wrong way into a square in Florence, all without the proper license.
The tourist, who has not been identified but is 43 years old, drove the red sports car toward Piazza della Signoria, where pedestrians often walk in the city’s historic center.
Local officials were clearly not impressed, describing his drive down Via dei Gondi as “absurd”.
The car had a Swiss registration. It is not clear if he owned the car or how he got it in Italy.
The man was fined 470 euros, or roughly $506, on the spot after a police check showed he did not have the proper license to drive anywhere in Italy, let alone in the piazza.
An American tourist living an Italian fantasy found himself $500 poorer after driving a Ferrari without the proper license in a square in Florence.
Florence authorities said in a statement that the man immediately paid the fine.
‘Checks revealed that the 43-year-old driver had a US driver’s license that did not comply with international conventions and did not have an international driver’s permit or official translation,’ they said.
“They filed a complaint against him for parking in the pedestrian area, driving in the opposite direction and having a non-compliant foreign card, the fine was a total of 470 euros, which he paid directly to the agents.”
The Piazza della Signoria, which was inaugurated in 1330, is considered the main meeting place for the city’s residents and tourists and also the political center of the city.
The specific square in which the American was driving is usually a tourist hotspot and is home to the famous Uffizi Gallery.
It also houses several statues, including a copy of Michelangelo’s David, a statue of Hercules and Cacus, and a Medusa-headed Peresus.
The area is known as the zona a traffico limitato (ZTL), or ‘restricted traffic zone’ in English.
Only local fire trucks, ambulances and taxis are allowed to drive through the square, according to the city website.
Panoramic view of Palazzo Vecchio and the clock tower building from Signoria square
The Piazza della Signoria, which was inaugurated in 1330, is considered the main meeting place for the city’s residents and tourists and also the political center of the city.
The specific square in which the American was driving is usually a tourist spot and is home to the famous Uffizi Gallery.
The man isn’t even the first American to be caught driving in such a zone in Florence this year.
According CNNA California man was fined around $540 for driving a rental Fiat across a bridge in Florence.
Last May, a Saudi man was arrested for driving a rented Maserati up the Spanish steps in Rome before fleeing the scene after the car was struck.
