Italy to prosecute man for driving on Rome’s Spanish Steps

A Saudi Arabian national who drove a rented Maserati down Rome’s world-famous Spanish Steps one year ago will now face criminal charges in Italy for damaging cultural heritage.

The ANSA news agency reported on Tuesday.

Depending on the outcome of the trial, the man might get between two to five years’ imprisonment.

In May 2022, the 38-year-old suspect allegedly steered the luxury sports car down the famed staircase next to the Trinità dei Monti church at night.

The car caused estimated €50,000 (54,000 millon dollars) damage to at least three steps, according to ANSA.

The man managed to drive off with the help of bystanders but was arrested several days later when he tried to return the damaged Maserati at Milan airport.

He was identified with the help of footage from surveillance cameras at the crime scene.

The 18th-century Spanish Steps, designed by architect Francesco De Sanctis, is one of Rome’s most famous landmarks and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Vehicles careening down the stairs had been a recurring problem in the Italian capital.

In 2018, a driver lost control of his car, and in 2007 another person drove down the baroque staircase under the influence of alcohol.

The incidents had sparked a debate about how to better protect the landmark, including by potentially closing the road which leads past the top of the staircase to traffic.