Spanish Steps Rome

The Maserati Levante stunt caused fractures to the 16th and 29th steps of the right-hand staircase of Rome's Spanish Steps.

“With the contribution of the Milan-based car rental company, it was possible to identify the driver, who was stopped at the moment of delivery of the car at Malpensa airport," the post read. Rome’s heritage protection body said that some of the fragments were reattached to the stairs but further work will be required to properly restore them. A CCTV footage of the incident posted on YouTube has captured the black Levante driving down the legendary steps during the early hours of the morning.

A Saudi Arabian driver was tracked down by police in Rome after a wrong turn sent him motoring down the city's historic Spanish Steps, in a mishap he blamed ...

The Spanish Square and Steps are named after foreign diplomats who once frequented the area. “I didn’t do it on purpose. Police said a rented Maserati was to blame for damaging the 18th-century staircase, an elegant landmark which overlooks one of Italy's most famous piazzas but whose 11 flights of steps are hardly meant for motorists.

A man has been arrested in Italy after driving his rented Maserati Levante down Rome's famed Spanish Steps, causing damage to the structure.

The rules are in addition to other, more widespread rules that ban “messy eating” near national monuments, dragging wheeled suitcases or prams down historic staircases and jumping into fountains. “He called a tow truck but no one came so he managed to turn the car around and drive back up the steps.” Police apprehended the Saudi Arabian national at Milan’s Malpensa airport as he attempted to leave the country.

The 37-year-old was arrested when attempting to return the Maserati to the rental company.

Rome’s heritage protection body said some of the fragments were reattached to the stairs but added that further work will be required to properly restore them. Evidently, the driver of the Maserati didn’t really think through the bizarre stunt as the SUV’s license plates were on full display and local authorities were able to quickly trace it back to a rental car company based on Milan. He was arrested at Milan Malpensa Airport when attempting to return the car.