Rome to charge visitors for access to Trevi Fountain

People admire the 18th century Trevi Fountain, one of Rome's most iconic landmarks, as it reopens to the public after undergoing maintenance, just on time for the start of the Jubilee Year, an event expected to draw millions of visitors to the Eternal City, in Rome, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Tourists will have to pay a two-euro entrance fee to get close to Rome’s famous Trevi Fountain, which draws vast crowds daily, Mayor Roberto Gualtieri said on Friday.

The monument, located in a public square, will still be able to be viewed from a distance for free, but closer access will be only for ticket holders, Gualtieri told a press conference.

“From February 1 we are introducing a paid ticket for six sites” in the Italian capital, including the Trevi Fountain, he said.

Entrance to the other five sites will cost five euros.

The backdrop to the most famous scene in Federico Fellini’s film “La Dolce Vita”, when actress Anita Ekberg takes a dip, the 18th-century fountain is top of the list for many visitors exploring the Eternal City.

Making a wish and tossing a coin into the water is such a tradition that authorities collect thousands of euros a week that are then given to the Caritas charity.

As a result of the fountain’s fame, the crowds in the square surrounding the Baroque masterpiece are often so deep that it is hard to get a proper look.

Between January 1 and December 8 some nine million tourists have visited the area just in front of the fountain -- an average of 30,000 people a day, Gualtieri said.

The area has been targeted by pickpockets and Rome officials have debated different ways of regulating access for years.

Rome residents will be allowed free access.

City hall estimates the ticket for access to the Trevi Fountain could bring in 6.5 million euros a year, he said.

This is not the first time Italian authorities have introduced tariffs for monuments.

The Pantheon -- a church inside a former Roman temple -- began charging visitors in 2023 and Venice last year introduced a tourist entry fee during peak periods.