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Venice reopens and gondolas await tourists 1:08
(CNN) - A pair of German tourists who swam in the Grand Canal in Venice were fined $ 790 and expelled from the city, Italian police told CNN.
“It happened on Wednesday (June 3) in the afternoon at around 3:00 pm local time. The two men undressed near the Rialto Bridge, leaving their clothes there. They jumped into the water and swam, crossing the Grand Canal, ”a police spokesperson told CNN.
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Located in northeast Italy in a closed bay on the Adriatic Sea, Venice is famous for its network of waterways.
The city's main waterway, the Grand Canal, has an average depth of almost 5 meters and connects to numerous smaller channels. Lined on both sides by churches, palaces, and hotels, it is one of the city's most popular tourist attractions.
Police spokesman told CNN that members of the city's Lagunari Regiment, a branch of the Venice-based military police to patrol and maintain order, began filming the two men when they saw them swim. They then showed the images to the local police, who fined the tourists.
"The two men were fined 350 euros each and were temporarily removed from the city," added the police.
The fine imposed on the couple is the standard fine for swimming in Venice's famous canals and was unrelated to coronavirus restrictions.
The men were temporarily removed from Venice under the "DASPO Urbano" regulation, which allows authorities to expel a person from a city to maintain public order.
After more than two months of stringent closure measures aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus, Italy began to welcome visitors.
To which countries did Italy open its airspace? 2:57Starting Wednesday, people arriving from other parts of the European Union, the United Kingdom or countries covered by the Schengen Agreement can travel to Italy freely without having to go through quarantine, the Italian Foreign Ministry said.
CNN's Sharon Braithwaite contributed to this article.
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