Latest news with #HolySee

9 News
13 hours ago
- 9 News
Man gets Mercedes stuck on world-famous Roman landmark
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here An 80-year-old man drove a compact luxury Mercedes-Benz A Class sedan down the landmark Spanish Steps in Rome this week before getting stuck partway down, municipal police said in a statement. The man tested negative for alcohol, and was cited on the spot for driving down the monument in Rome's historic centre, police said. Police said the man, a resident of Rome, was at a loss to explain how he had wound up driving down the famed steps. An 80-year-old driver in Rome managed to get his Mercedes stuck on the city's famed Spanish Steps. (9News) They did not release his name and it was unclear if the car was his. The small sporty car was later removed by firefighters using a crane. Police did not respond to requests for more details about the dynamics of the apparent accident. One of Rome's most recognisable monuments, the Spanish Steps have never been intended for motor vehicles, although some thrill seekers have tried their luck. A Saudi man was charged with aggravated damage to cultural heritage after a surveillance camera recorded him driving a rented Maserati down the 135 travertine steps in 2022. The Spanish Steps take their name from the Spanish Embassy to the Holy See in the nearby square. A famed background for numerous films, they were built in the 1720s and have long been a popular spot to people watch and hang out. rome accidents driving Italy Europe World CONTACT US Property News: The last inner Sydney suburbs where houses cost under $2m.


CNN
2 days ago
- CNN
Elderly man drives down Rome's Spanish Steps and gets stuck
An 80-year-old man has told police he was 'wrong' to drive down Rome's famed Spanish Steps, after firefighters had to recover his vehicle from the landmark in the early hours of Tuesday. The man was not injured in the incident but he was nonetheless taken to the hospital, where he tested negative for both drug and alcohol consumption, city police said in a statement. The driver, who has not been identified, told officers he was 'going to work' and had taken a wrong turn, according to Italian media reports. It is unclear if he was using a GPS device. The gray Mercedes-Benz A-Class car got stuck halfway down the 18th-century staircase around 4 a.m. on Tuesday, the Italian Fire Brigade said in a statement. The car had been stopped by police officers who were patrolling the area. The fire department said it had to use a crane at the foot of the steps to lift the vehicle off the stairway. Some damage to the vehicle was visible, but it is unclear whether that was the result of Tuesday's incident. The steps are currently closed to the public. The normal procedure when Rome's historic monuments are involved in an incident is for archaeologists to inspect them for damage. The man had a valid driver's license, according to Italian media. Under Italian law, drivers over the age of 80 are obliged to renew their license every two years and undergo a medical examination, which includes basic cognition questions. Back in 2022, a Saudi man tangled with the law after he drove a Maserati down the Spanish Steps. He was charged with aggravated damage to cultural heritage and monuments after the car caused fractures to the 16th and 29th steps of the right-hand flight rising up from the Piazza di Spagna. That same year two American tourists were fined and briefly banned from Rome's city center after damaging the steps with electric scooters. The steps owe their name to the Spanish Embassy to the Holy See, which is hosted in a palazzo in the square below. A two-year, 1.5 million-euro ($1.7 million) restoration of the landmark — which has appeared in numerous movies, most notably 1953's 'Roman Holiday,' starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck — was completed in 2015.


The Advertiser
2 days ago
- The Advertiser
An 80-year-old drives a luxury car down Rome's Spanish Steps and gets stuck
An 80-year-old man drove a compact luxury Mercedes-Benz A Class sedan down the landmark Spanish Steps in Rome early on Tuesday before getting stuck partway down, municipal police said in a statement. The man tested negative for alcohol and was cited on the spot for driving down the monument in Rome's historic centre, police said. Police said the man, a resident of Rome, was at a loss to explain how he had wound up driving down the famed steps. They did not release his name and it was unclear if the car was his. The small sporty car was later removed by firefighters using a crane. Police did not respond to requests for more details about the dynamics of the apparent accident. One of Rome's most recognisable monuments, the Spanish Steps, has never been intended for motor vehicles, although some thrill seekers have tried their luck. A Saudi man was charged with aggravated damage to cultural heritage after a surveillance camera recorded him driving a rented Maserati down the 135 travertine steps in 2022. The Spanish Steps take their name from the Spanish Embassy to the Holy See in the nearby square. A famed background for numerous films, they were built in the 1720s and have long been a popular spot to people watch and hang out. READ MORE: Drunk traveller arrested at airport after run-in with police officers An 80-year-old man drove a compact luxury Mercedes-Benz A Class sedan down the landmark Spanish Steps in Rome early on Tuesday before getting stuck partway down, municipal police said in a statement. The man tested negative for alcohol and was cited on the spot for driving down the monument in Rome's historic centre, police said. Police said the man, a resident of Rome, was at a loss to explain how he had wound up driving down the famed steps. They did not release his name and it was unclear if the car was his. The small sporty car was later removed by firefighters using a crane. Police did not respond to requests for more details about the dynamics of the apparent accident. One of Rome's most recognisable monuments, the Spanish Steps, has never been intended for motor vehicles, although some thrill seekers have tried their luck. A Saudi man was charged with aggravated damage to cultural heritage after a surveillance camera recorded him driving a rented Maserati down the 135 travertine steps in 2022. The Spanish Steps take their name from the Spanish Embassy to the Holy See in the nearby square. A famed background for numerous films, they were built in the 1720s and have long been a popular spot to people watch and hang out. READ MORE: Drunk traveller arrested at airport after run-in with police officers An 80-year-old man drove a compact luxury Mercedes-Benz A Class sedan down the landmark Spanish Steps in Rome early on Tuesday before getting stuck partway down, municipal police said in a statement. The man tested negative for alcohol and was cited on the spot for driving down the monument in Rome's historic centre, police said. Police said the man, a resident of Rome, was at a loss to explain how he had wound up driving down the famed steps. They did not release his name and it was unclear if the car was his. The small sporty car was later removed by firefighters using a crane. Police did not respond to requests for more details about the dynamics of the apparent accident. One of Rome's most recognisable monuments, the Spanish Steps, has never been intended for motor vehicles, although some thrill seekers have tried their luck. A Saudi man was charged with aggravated damage to cultural heritage after a surveillance camera recorded him driving a rented Maserati down the 135 travertine steps in 2022. The Spanish Steps take their name from the Spanish Embassy to the Holy See in the nearby square. A famed background for numerous films, they were built in the 1720s and have long been a popular spot to people watch and hang out. READ MORE: Drunk traveller arrested at airport after run-in with police officers An 80-year-old man drove a compact luxury Mercedes-Benz A Class sedan down the landmark Spanish Steps in Rome early on Tuesday before getting stuck partway down, municipal police said in a statement. The man tested negative for alcohol and was cited on the spot for driving down the monument in Rome's historic centre, police said. Police said the man, a resident of Rome, was at a loss to explain how he had wound up driving down the famed steps. They did not release his name and it was unclear if the car was his. The small sporty car was later removed by firefighters using a crane. Police did not respond to requests for more details about the dynamics of the apparent accident. One of Rome's most recognisable monuments, the Spanish Steps, has never been intended for motor vehicles, although some thrill seekers have tried their luck. A Saudi man was charged with aggravated damage to cultural heritage after a surveillance camera recorded him driving a rented Maserati down the 135 travertine steps in 2022. The Spanish Steps take their name from the Spanish Embassy to the Holy See in the nearby square. A famed background for numerous films, they were built in the 1720s and have long been a popular spot to people watch and hang out. READ MORE: Drunk traveller arrested at airport after run-in with police officers

3 days ago
An 80-year-old drives a luxury Mercedes down Rome's Spanish Steps
ROME -- An 80-year-old man drove a compact luxury Mercedes-Benz A Class sedan down the landmark Spanish Steps in Rome early on Tuesday before getting stuck part way down, municipal police said in a statement. The man tested negative for alcohol, and was cited on the spot for driving down the monument in Rome's historic center, police said. Police did not identify the driver or say if the car was his. They also did not say whether or not he was using a navigator. The small sporty car was later removed by firefighters using a crane. Police did not respond to requests for more details about the dynamics of the apparent accident. One of Rome's most recognizable monuments, the Spanish Steps have never been intended for motor vehicles, although some thrill seekers have tried their luck. A Saudi man was charged with aggravated damage to cultural heritage after a surveillance camera recorded him driving a rented Maserati down the 135 travertine steps in 2022. The Spanish Steps take their name from the Spanish Embassy to the Holy See in the nearby square. A famed background for numerous films, they were built in the 1720s and have long been a popular spot to people watch and hang out.


Irish Examiner
3 days ago
- Irish Examiner
Man, 80, gets stuck while driving luxury Mercedes car down Rome's Spanish Steps
An 80-year-old man drove a compact luxury Mercedes-Benz A Class sedan down the landmark Spanish Steps in Rome before getting stuck part-way down, police said. The man, who tested negative for alcohol, was cited on the spot for driving down the monument in the Italian capital's historic centre, police said. Police did not identify the driver or say if the car was his. They also did not say whether or not he was using a navigator. The small sporty car was later removed by firefighters using a crane. One of Rome's most recognisable monuments, the Spanish Steps have never been intended for motor vehicles, although some thrill seekers have tried their luck. A Saudi man was charged with aggravated damage to cultural heritage after a surveillance camera recorded him driving a rented Maserati down the 135 steps in 2022. The Spanish Steps take their name from the Spanish Embassy to the Holy See in the nearby square. A famous background for numerous films, they were built in the 1720s and have long been a popular spot to people-watch and hang out.