The incident took place around 4 a.m. a week ago and was filmed by a bystander.
In the footage, an unidentified woman, who Italian authorities say was a 28-year-old tourist from the United States, furiously swings a rented electric scooter down the stairs.
After reviewing all the videos from nearby homes, the police finally arrested a couple who… so contemptuously treated the legendary staircase, which was designed between 1723 and 1726 by the architect Francesco de Sanctis.
The Spanish Steps is one of the most protected historic sites in the Italian capital: in 2018, the police banned people from even sitting on the steps. This staircase was featured in the famous 1953 film Roman Holiday starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck.
The vandal couple was fined $860, police said. The woman’s companion also turned out to be an American at the age of 29.
Law enforcement officers did not name the vandals, only noting that damage to the famous marble staircase was at least $26,000. The scooter broke two steps and damaged other parts of the stairs as well.
The couple may not even come near the famous monument, under threat of criminal prosecution, which, according to police, cost 1.5 million dollars to restore in 2015.