EPA-EFE/REX/ShutterstockTourists in Italy’s capital Rome will soon have to pay a €2 (£1.75; $2.34) entrance fee if they want to see its famous Trevi Fountain up close.
The new barrier for visitors to see the baroque monument will come into effect from February 1, 2026.
While the coins thrown into the fountain are donated to charities, the fees collected will go to the city authorities to pay for its maintenance and management of visitors. The city hopes to raise 6.5 million euros a year from the fountain alone.
Announcing the measure on Friday, Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri was quoted by the Reuters news agency as saying that “two euros is not much… and will lead to less chaotic tourist flows.”
The Trevi fee is part of a new fee system for certain museums and monuments in the Italian capital.
Access to several sites that currently charge for admission will be free for Rome residents, such as the Largo Argentina Sacred Area.
At the same time, tourists and non-residents will have to pay to see the Trevi Fountain and five other attractions, including the Napoleonic Museum.
Children under five years of age, as well as people with disabilities and a companion, will be exempt from paying fees.
Tourists will still be able to see the Trevi Fountain, built by Italian architect Nicola Salvi in the 18th century, for free and from a distance.
Currently, the site receives an average of 30,000 visitors a day, according to the city of Rome.
Following restoration work that took place last year, Gualtieri introduced a queuing system to avoid large crowds around the monument.
Access is limited to 400 people at a time.
