City council member Alessandro Onorato said a ticket reservation system was being considered. Tickets would be free for residents of Rome, but a symbolic one euro would be charged for tourists. The goal is not to get money, but to control the crowds, including forbidding tourists to “eat ice cream or pizza on a monument that deserves proper respect,” explained the council member.
Built in the 18th century, the Trevi Fountain is so famous that it is constantly surrounded by a crowd of people, and it is often difficult to properly view the fountain.
The Trevi Fountain forms the backdrop for the most famous scene of Federico Fellini’s iconic film The Sweet Life, starring Anita Ekberg and Marcello Mastroianni. It is believed that throwing a coin into the fountain will mean a return to Rome.
The Baroque fountain is one of the stops for most tourists visiting Rome.
The press representative of the municipality told AFP that the introduction of tickets is only an initial idea and nothing concrete has been decided yet. “It’s a delicate and complex issue, but sooner or later it has to be addressed,” he added, stressing that tourism in Rome must be made sustainable for the city and the environment.
It is expected that the number of tourists will increase even more next year, because Pope Francis has declared 2025 as a holy year, which means that Rome will welcome millions of pilgrims.
Roman Catholic jubilee years – a tradition that began in 1300 – are held every 25 years. Traditionally, pilgrims visit St. Peter’s Basilica and three other major basilicas in Rome.
More than 30 million pilgrims from around the world are expected to visit Rome and the Vatican in 12 months.
2024-09-04 16:50:28