European cities host various tourist rituals for luck and love

Tourists across several European cities participate in long-standing or modern rituals involving monuments to seek luck, love, or the chance to return to a destination.

In Rome, throwing coins into the Trevi Fountain is a major tradition. Approximately 1.5 million euros are thrown into the fountain annually, with the charity Caritas collecting roughly 1.6 million euros in 2023 to fund social projects and food banks.

In Milan, visitors spin on a bull mosaic in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. The constant physical contact from this ritual caused enough wear to create a crater in the tiles, necessitating a restoration in May 2024.

Other notable traditions include: • Verona: Touching the bronze statue of Juliet to find love. • Prague: Touching bronze reliefs on the Charles Bridge. • Florence: Interacting with the Porcellino bronze pig statue. • Brussels: Rubbing the statue of Everard 't Serclaes. • Budapest: Touching the pen of the statue of Anonymous to find inspiration.