Incidents of tourists crashing drones into monuments surge in Italy

The authorities in Italy are nursing a new headache these days, and it looks like one that’s unlikely to go away any time soon. Incidents of tourists crashing (or nearly crashing) drones into historical landmarks are growing fast, with three such mishaps coming to light in the last month alone.

On April 23, an Argentine tourist lost control of his drone while he was at Palazzo Venezia, the first of Rome’s great Renaissance palaces. The drone crashed into the roof of the 15-century monument and was recovered by the building’s security staff who reported its 39-year-old operator to the police.

Police captain Matteo Alborghetti later told reporters the man was “probably unaware” that drone flights over Rome and the Vatican cannot be conducted without explicit permission from ENAC, Italy’s civil aviation body.

“Fortunately, there were no repercussions, no one was hurt, and the roof of Palazzo Venezia was not damaged,” Alborghetti added, before…