Italy: In Rome, Beware Fake “Centurions” and Drunken Tourists

By Larry Habegger | Permalink | No Comments | July 4th, 2007 | Trackback

A common tourist activity in Rome is to pose for a picture outside the Colosseum with a “centurion” in full gladiator garb, but beware the expense and risk. All expect a fee for their services and the cost can be exorbitant, but worse, some renegade centurions have become overly aggressive and in a recent incident one physically assaulted four Americans when he was upset with the tip they offered. Others have been known to offer to take photos with the tourists’ cameras and then refuse to return them until given a satisfactory fee. Part of the problem is unlicensed centurions trying to horn in on the official centurions to get a share of the tourist photo business. Licensed centurions can be identified by their more authentic costumes with metal helmets and breastplates, and leather tunics. The fakes usually have plastic breastplates. In other news, authorities are concerned that hard-drinking tourists are ruining the center of Rome with public drunkenness and all the bad behavior that goes with it. Culprits are largely British and Americans. Bars have spread throughout the city’s historic center to cater to the tourists, and officials have vowed to put more police on the street to control the problem.

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