Rome is contemplating restricting access to the Trevi Fountain, one of its most frequented landmarks, in anticipation of a surge in tourism expected for the Eternal City, according to city council officials. The Italian capital is gearing up to host the 2025 Jubilee, a year-long Roman Catholic event anticipated to draw 32 million tourists and pilgrims. Under the proposed plans, visits to the fountain would necessitate prior reservations, with specific time slots and a limited number of individuals permitted to access the surrounding steps.
"For Romans, we are considering making it free, while non-residents would be required to make a symbolic contribution, one or two euros ($1.1-2.2)," Rome's tourism councillor Alessandro Onorato stated in Thursday's Il Messaggero newspaper. On Wednesday, Mayor Roberto Gualtieri referred to measures to curb tourist numbers as "a very concrete possibility." "The situation at the Trevi Fountain is becoming technically very challenging to manage," he informed reporters.
Other cities are grappling with protests over issues caused by overtourism, including Barcelona and Venice, where local authorities tested an entry fee scheme for visitors this year. The Trevi Fountain, where tradition dictates that visitors toss a coin to ensure their return to Rome and fulfill their wishes, has long been a significant attraction, even for visiting world leaders. Completed in 1762, the monument is a late Baroque masterpiece, featuring statues of Tritons guiding the shell chariot of the god Oceanus, symbolizing the taming of the waters. It is also remembered for one of cinema's most iconic scenes when, in Federico Fellini's "La Dolce Vita," Anita Ekberg wades into the fountain and calls to her co-star Marcello Mastroianni: "Marcello! Come here!"
