Rome to
regulate Trevi Fountain crowds after restoration
A general
view shows the Trevi fountain after renovation works in Rome, on the day of its
reopening with crowds of people huddling round the grand re-opening.
More than
10,000 people used to visit the baroque landmark in Rome every day
Thomas
Mackintosh
BBC News
Published
22 December
2024
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwypvvplj05o
Rome's
world-famous Trevi Fountain has re-opened after a three-month restoration.
Built in the
18th Century by Italian architect Nicola Salvi on the façade of the Poli
Palace, the historic fountain is one of the city's most visited spots.
Between
10,000 and 12,000 tourists used to visit the Trevi Fountain each day, but a new
queuing system has been installed to prevent large crowds massing near the
landmark.
Speaking on
Sunday Mayor of Rome Roberto Gualtieri said imposing the limit will "allow
everyone to better enjoy the fountain, without crowds or confusion".
Gualtieri
also said city authorities were considering charging a modest entry price to
finance the fountain's upkeep.
Sunday's
re-opening took place under light rain in the presence of several hundred
tourists, many of whom followed the mayor by throwing a coin into the fountain.
The
three-month cleaning project involved removing mould and calcium incrustations.
The fountain
and other key city sites have been cleaned ahead of the jubilee of the Roman
Catholic Church which begins on Christmas Eve.
A new
queueing system will be put in place to avoid large crowds, like this in
September 2024
Its poor
structural condition was exposed in 2012 when bits of its elaborate cornice
began falling off after an especially harsh winter which required a
multi-million euro renovation the following year.
Making a
wish and tossing a coin into the water is such a tradition that the city
authorities used to collect around €10,000 (£8,300; $10,500) a week.
The money
was donated to a charity that provides meals for the poor.
It is the
end point of one of the aqueducts that supplied ancient Rome with water
The Acqua
Vergine runs for a total of 20km (12 miles) before flowing into the fountain
Tourists can
drink from a special tap tucked away at one side
According to
legend, the water source was discovered in 19 BC by thirsty Roman soldiers
directed to the site by a young virgin - which is why it is called Virgin
Waters
The
tradition of throwing coins into the fountain was made famous by Frank
Sinatra's Three Coins in the Fountain in the 1954 romantic comedy of the same
name
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