Man who drove Maserati to Rome’s Spanish Steps charged

The moment a man driving a Maserati up the Spanish Steps outside the Trinità dei Monti church in Rome has been captured on CCTV. Photo courtesy of Rome Capital Police/Facebook

The incident was captured on surveillance video and Rome police released footage showing the luxury car racing down the historic staircase before driving off.

Investigators tracked the car to a Milan-based rental company who provided them with the driver’s details and he was arrested trying to return the car to Malpensa airport in northern Italy. ‘Italy.

Officials from Rome’s superintendency office for cultural heritage said in a statement that the steps were partially fractured between the 16th and 29th steps of the 135-step staircase.

The fragments that were severed have been temporarily reconnected “to allow immediate reopening for pedestrian transit,” the statement said.

The cultural office said it would work to permanently restore the steps by replacing fractured parts that “are compatible” with the existing staircase in terms of color and material characteristics.

Officials said chips, scratches and other abrasions were also found on the stair railings, also attributed to the driver. It was not immediately clear how much the repairs would cost.

In 2017, a proposal was made to ban the use of steps at night, ArtNet reported at the time. The proposal would also have resulted in a fee for sitting on the steps and the installation of a plexiglass barrier to protect the 300-year-old monument.

Concern for the protection of the steps had increased after Dutch football fans damaged the Fontana della Barcaccia, a fountain designed by Baroque artist Bernini, which sits at the foot of the steps.