Police hunt for 'disrespectful' British tourists who posed nude near iconic war monument in Italy
Law enforcement authorities are looking for British tourists who stripped and posed naked for photographs in a fountain next to one of Rome's most legendary landmarks.
In shocking footage that surfaced on the internet, men can be seen splashing around in the water followed by one of them removing his underwear. The tourists are seen jokingly posing for photographs and flexing their muscles as others present continue to film them.
The events transpired near the famous Altare della Patria (Altar of the Fatherland) national monument in Rome which commemorates those who sacrificed their lives for the country.
A tour guide filmed the commotion near the fountain and posted it to YouTube, where it went viral and caught the attention of Italian police.
As reported by local media, two British men are seen in the video footage posing for photos in the fountain wearing only their undergarments.
Several friends can be seen in the footage skinny dipping while others take photos of their semi-naked buddies, reported Daily Mail.
In a shocking move, one of the men gets ready to pose naked for photos after stuffing his genitals between his legs. As the Brits continue to disrespect the spirit of the iconic monument — built to honor the country's unification — several visitors are seen walking past and giggling at the sight.
Built in memory of the fallen soldiers of World War I, the heritage site is positioned between the Piazza Venezia and Capitoline Hill and holds the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier which includes an eternal flame. Such uncivilized behavior which shows disrespect for Italy's famous landmarks is prohibited by local authorities.
Meanwhile, law enforcement authorities in Rome are circulating a picture of the men partying in the fountain. They said that officers are "carrying out all the necessary checks to trace the authors of the gesture, which seriously offends the national sentiment and memory of the fallen to whom the monument is dedicated".
The incident is not an isolated one in the country, which is a tourist favorite. On August 13, around 5 am, two Canadian tourists were fined €450 ($522) for swimming in the prohibited Trevi fountain.
Also, last month, while on a class trip to Florence, secondary school students from Wales broke a national artifact worth millions.
The students allegedly climbed onto the ledge of the 16 century Renaissance tabernacle of Madonna and the Child after a toy parachute got stuck in it, according to Italian news website La Nazione.
According to local reports, a 15-year-old boy, who was a part of the trip, climbed on to the shoulders of a classmate in order to retrieve the said toy. However, unable to withstand the boy's weight, the monument gave way and broke down.