Lovestruck teenagers are causing headaches for officials in Italy’s main cities. The young lovers have been wrecking havoc on historic Italian bridges with padlocks.
The trend began after the 2007 release of the movie “Ho voglia di te" based on a book of the same name by Federico Moccia. At the story’s climax, a young couple places a lock around a lamppost to symbolize their unbreakable bond. Now bridges all over Italy are being weighed down by copycat romantic gestures.
Hundreds of padlocks have appeared on lampposts, creating a problem bridges like Rome’s Ponte Milvio and Ponte Vecchio in Florence. The combined weight of the locks has undermined the structural integrity of several bridge lights.
The sweet gesture has become a worrisome trend, prompting cities like Venice to fine Italy’s young lovebirds for their acts of “lucchettizzati”.
Concerned citizens are also chipping in to curb dead bolt use. In addition to the threat of a 50 Euro ticket, a counter movement has sprung up called “Liberation of the locks of love.” The group recently removed over 100 padlocks from Ponte dell’Accademia over Venice’s Grand Canal.
