Rome's famed Spanish Steps got a brief, multi-hued transformation Wednesday, after an Italian artist notorious for his stunts sent half a million colourful toy balls cascading down from the popular monument.

Graziano Cecchini and a team of helpers dumped 500,000 red, yellow, green and blue balls down from the Holy Trinity Church, creating a multicoloured wave that bounced down the 18th century staircase. The balls eventually landed in the Barcaccia Fountain at the base of the steps.

Municipal cleaners remove colored balls from the Spanish Steps in Rome after a stunt by artist Graziano Cecchini.
(Andrew Medichini/Associated Press)

TV cameras on the scene captured the entire event, including surprised locals and delighted passersby and tourists — many of whom snapped their own pictures and carried away balls as mementoes of the experience.

The attention-grabbing Cecchini, who in October dumped red dye into the Trevi Fountain, told local media on scene that he uses art to stress the problems facing Italy. He said his artistic protest cost him about 20,000 euros (nearly $30,000 Cdn.)

It was unclear from news reports exactly what he was protesting.

Italian news agencies have reported that Cecchini and others were detained by police after the spectacle.

To the dismay of area shopkeepers, officials closed the neighbourhood off for several hours so that street cleaners could remove the balls, which were eventually shoveled into garbage trucks.

With files from the Associated Press