A young tenor was fined by Florence’s municipal police on Saturday, 7 February 2026, after performing an operatic aria on the forecourt of Florence Cathedral. The episode unfolded in front of dozens of onlookers, many of them tourists waiting to enter the cathedral, and quickly spread online through a widely shared video.
The singer, a Russian student according to what he says in the footage, was performing “Nessun dorma” from Turandot by Giacomo Puccini, using a small amplification system. As he reached the final “vincerò”, municipal police officers intervened, issuing a fine and seizing the amplifier.
Applause for the singer
The scene prompted a spontaneous reaction from the crowd. Several passers-by applauded the singer and booed the officers, according to the video. After police collected the money the singer had received from the audience — around €100 — people present reportedly reimbursed him on the spot, handing back roughly the same amount.
The video was posted on Instagram by Diego Fusina, who said he happened to be in the area at the time. Within hours, the clip was shared widely, fuelling online discussion about street performances and rules in Florence’s historic centre.
What the city says
According to the local rules, the forecourt of the cathedral, in Piazza del Duomo, is among the locations where busking is banned under municipal regulations.
The administration stressed that Florence allows street musicians and performers only in designated spots and that artists must be registered in advance. According to the local press, officers had asked the singer several times to stop before issuing the fine, intervening only after he continued the performance.
Officials also said the amplifier was seized as a precautionary measure and will be returned once the fine is paid. Similar sanctions have been issued in recent weeks, with at least five comparable cases reported.
The episode has once again highlighted the tension between Florence’s strict rules to protect its most sensitive historic spaces and the spontaneous performances that often attract visitors — and public sympathy — in the city’s busiest squares.
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