Rome introduces a two-euro entry fee for the Trevi Fountain to reduce overcrowding and fund preservation, with proceeds also supporting free museum access for locals.
ROME: The Trevi Fountain launched a new ticketing system on Monday. The two-euro fee makes the famous Baroque landmark the latest Rome tourist site to charge entry in a bid to raise funds and manage overcrowding.
Visitors paid to access the area next to the basin, which was largely crowd-free. “Tell me it’s not worth two euros! It’s worth thousands if not millions, it’s beautiful!” said Polish tourist Agata Harezlak.
The fountain is a top attraction for visitors to the Eternal City. In the past, dense crowds in the public square often made it hard to get a proper view.
Briton Phillip Willis said he was pleased to get “a decent picture of myself without being bombarded by lots of other people”. He added it felt good to spend money which would go to “preserving the fountain for many generations to come, hopefully”.
Most of the square remains open to the public, with many people taking pictures from there instead of paying for closer access. Ticket-holders can visit between 9:00 am and 10:00 pm, except on Monday and Friday when the area opens at 11:30 am.
City hall estimates the access ticket could bring in at least six million euros a year. The earnings will partly pay for the 25 stewards hired to staff the ticket office and manage the gated area.
Funds raised will also permit free access for locals to a series of museums across the Italian capital. Belgian tourist Francois Tricot said he was “happy to pay” to have room to snap the perfect picture.
The couple then tossed coins into the water, a tradition said to ensure a return to Rome. Making a wish and tossing a coin is so popular that authorities collect thousands of euros a week for charity.
Italian Mattia Loconte, who uses a wheelchair, said he hoped some funds would go to installing ramps. Disabled people can access the basin for free, but must navigate the steps.
Not all were convinced by the fee. Albanian tourist David Lyucia said it was “ok for tourists”, but “it’s not right for Italians to have to pay”. Rome’s tourism official Alessandro Onorato brushed off complaints, saying that “if the Trevi Fountain had been in New York, they would have asked for 100 euros, not two”.
