With Italy’s Jubilee year expected to draw even larger crowds in 2025, visitors are urged to reconsider their safety as they explore Italy’s iconic landmarks.
The European Pickpocketing Index by Quotezone.co.uk has revealed Italy to be the country with the highest proportion of pickpocketing mentions in visitor reviews.
Italy’s top tourist attractions, including the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Duomo di Milano, and Gallerie Degli Uffizi, reported the highest volume of stolen personal items, with 478 pickpocketing mentions per million British visitors.
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s (FCDO) has advised Brits to stay extra vigilant, with authorities reporting an uptick in thefts from crowded areas like major tourist attractions, metro lines, and train station.
Monica Cesarato, a Venice tour guide and blogger recalled when someone attempted to pickpocket her for the second time in one day: « I used to say to my clients, ‘don’t worry, it’s very safe’. But that safety has gone really, really fast in the last two years. »
She added: « There are gangs in the areas of Rialto, San Marco, Piazzale Roma and where people are catching buses. It’s not just young people, but organised crime.
« They don’t live here. They come on a train from Treviso and other places but they come in groups.
« You have women doing the thefts, and then you have the guys that keep an eye to make sure the police aren’t around.
« If, as a local, you try to say something, you get struck in the face. You get beaten up. »
The amount of tourists in places like Venice has worsened the situation, with organised gangs taking advantage of the large crowds.
Rome is no stranger to the issue either, with notorious hotspots including the crowded metro stations at Termini and Piramide, as well as the bus route 64, which connects Termini Station to the Vatican.
The Eternal City’s iconic Trevi Fountain was named the worst place for pickpockets in the entire of Italy.
The site usually attracts around 12,000 visitors each day but it has recently been reopened following three months of renovations to groups of 400 visitors at a time.
The Jubilee Year is a special event in the Catholic Church, celebrated every 25 years when the Vatican opens its Holy Doors at major basilicas, allowing pilgrims to receive spiritual benefits like indulgences.
The Jubilee is expected to bring more than 30 million visitors this year, increasing the risk of pickpocketing and other petty crimes at popular tourist sites.
The increase in tourists during the Jubilee year could potentially lead to a further rise in petty crimes, like pickpocketing, due to the larger crowds and busy tourist sites.
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