Mayor of Rome Gianni Alemanno has contacted the visitors in relation to the incident, and has invited the group of four back to the Italian capital.
Married couple Roger and Wendy Bannister, from the West Midlands, were visiting the city with Roger’s brother Stephen and his wife Joyce. The tourists received the huge bill last Sunday when they stopped for a gelato at the Antica Roma bar and ice-cream parlour, located near the Spanish Steps.
A manager at the bar defended the pricing, saying the gelati in question were huge. She told the Telegraph “if you want a lot of ice cream then it is worth the price... the prices are displayed everywhere.”
Tourists beware
Andrew Demaria of CNN writes that the expensive gelato is not unique to Rome, having himself being asked to pay over €20 (or its lire equivalent at the time) for a three-scoop cone in Florence years ago.
Although Rome is generally a very tourist-friendly city, there are some other potential rip-offs that visitors could fall victim to. Some restaurants in Rome charge a much higher price to sit and eat, potentially doubling or tripling the final bill. Stalls and street vendors may also be selling bottles of water and soft drinks at huge premiums.
Similarly, visitors are advised to avoid the costumed ‘gladiators’ outside the Colosseum and other ancient attractions. Despite attempts by the Roman authorities to put a stop to these unofficial ‘models’, the fake gladiators still attempt to charge tourists extortionate prices to pose for a photograph with them.
