Tourists begin paying to see Rome’s Trevi Fountain
Tourists who want to follow the tradition of tossing a coin into Rome’s Trevi Fountain will need to dig a little deeper, as the city imposes a visitor fee.
The new 2-euro ($3.40) fee, aimed at easing overtourism and helping fund the monument’s maintenance, will apply only to visitors descending stone stairs to approach the fountain’s pool, starting Monday.
The surrounding square, which offers views of the landmark, will be freely accessible.
Under rules first announced in December, Rome residents, disabled people, their companions and children under six are exempt.
The Trevi fee has been introduced along with the new 5-euro tourist ticket fee for some city museums.
Argentinian tourist Valentina De Vicentis, who was affected by the new fee, said: “I didn’t know we had to pay, but I have no problem with it.”
He said he hopes this will alleviate overcrowding.
“There are fewer people here, so I think that’s good, because otherwise there are too many people and you can’t take pictures and you can’t stay (for long) and have fun.”
The Trevi Fountain, where tradition dictates that visitors must throw coins into the water to guarantee their return to Rome, has long been one of the city’s most popular tourist attractions, even for visiting world leaders.
It is remembered for the famous film scene in Federico Fellini’s La Dolce Vita, where Anita Ekberg enters the fountain and calls her co-star Marcello Mastroianni to join her: “Marcello! Come here!”
Authorities say more than 10 million people visited the fountain during the December 2024-December 2025 period, largely coinciding with the Catholic Holy Year, or Jubilee, which draws about 33.5 million pilgrims to Rome.
Fed by an ancient Roman aqueduct and completed in 1762, the monument is a late Baroque masterpiece depicting Oceanus, god of all waters, symbolizing the changing moods of the world’s seas and rivers.
With the boom of tourism in Rome and across Italy, visitor fees have been introduced to an increasing number of cultural landmarks.
These include Rome’s ancient Pantheon, the entire city of Venice during peak travel season, and the courtyard in Verona with its balcony temporarily linked to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.
with AP
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