An American tourist was fined and banned for life from Rome's Spanish steps after causing $26,000 worth of damage by hurling an e-scooter down the heritage site, international media report.

The incident, which occurred at around 3:45am Friday, was filmed by a passerby, with the footage subsequently going viral after being published by several Italian news sites.

The unidentified woman, who Italian authorities said was a US tourist aged 28, was captured on film hurling the rented e-scooter down the steps in a fit of apparent frustration.  

Cops eventually caught up with the woman, as well as an also unidentified male companion, aged 29, who is seen in the footage recklessly wheeling his own scooter down the storied stairs, featured in the Audrey Hepburn-led 1953 classic Roman Holiday.

The pair were reportedly then fined $430 by police who viewed further security footage of the incident, which saw the woman inexplicably launch the rented vehicle down the steps.

Due to the woman intentionally pushing her scooter down the stairs, a more formal complaint was filed against her for damaging the sacred stairwell - an offence punishable by up to one year in jail or a fine of at least $2,100, the Daily Mail reports.

The Spanish Steps serve as one of the most guarded tourist sites in the Italian capital, with police prohibiting people from sitting on them back in 2018.

Cops said the damage sustained to the famous marble stairway as a result of the woman's actions will cost at least $26,000 to repair.

Authorities said the scooter cracked the monument’s 16th and 29th steps, while also chipping other sections of the storied staircase.