Skinny dipping tourists charged with obscenity for bathing in Roman fountain

The Fountain of the Naiads in the Piazza della Repubblica in Rome is one of the city's most famous landmarks. (iStock)

While swimming in Rome's Fountain of the Naiads is prohibited, if you're going to get wet, it's best to keep your clothes on.

A group of British tourists made themselves way too comfortable at the popular tourist attraction Sunday, and are now facing charges of obscenity stemming from their early morning skinny dipping session, the Mirror reported.

Police said the group of four men and two women stripped down to their birthday suits and jumped into the fountain around 6 a.m. local time Sunday. Authorities said they believe the group was drinking prior to jumping in the fountain, which would explain their motivation.

The tourists, aged 25-49, were issued fines by police at the scene.

While not nearly as well-known as the Colosseum or Pantheon, Rome's Fountain of Naiads in Piazza della Repubblica is a popular historic landmark that dates back to the late 19th century.

Naked or not, tourists are advised to stay out of the fountain and settle for a selfie instead.

Sunday's incident comes on the heels of other bad behavior by tourists visiting Italy. Three American tourists were arrested for swimming in Piazza Navona's Fountain of the Four Rivers in July, while an Austrian woman was the latest visitor to attempt to carve her initials into the Colosseum earlier this month.

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