Rome: Rome is contemplating new restrictions for accessing the Trevi Fountain, one of the city’s most iconic landmarks, in preparation for a significant increase in tourism. The Italian capital is gearing up for the 2025 Jubilee, a year-long Roman Catholic event anticipated to draw around 32 million visitors and pilgrims.
The proposed measures include requiring visitors to make prior reservations with designated time slots and limiting the number of people allowed near the fountain. “For Romans, we are considering making it free, while non-residents would be asked to make a symbolic contribution, one or two euros ($1.1-2.2),” Rome’s tourism councillor Alessandro Onorato explained in an interview with Il Messaggero on Thursday.
Rome’s Mayor, Roberto Gualtieri, described the proposed restrictions as “a very concrete possibility,” noting the increasing difficulty in managing the large crowds at the Trevi Fountain. “The situation at the Trevi Fountain is becoming technically very difficult to manage,” he added.
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The issue of overtourism has led other cities, such as Barcelona and Venice, to implement measures to control visitor numbers, including entry charges for tourists.
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The Trevi Fountain, completed in 1762 and renowned for its late Baroque artistry, features statues of Tritons guiding the shell chariot of the god Oceanus, symbolizing the taming of the waters. The fountain is also famous for its appearance in Federico Fellini’s film “La Dolce Vita,” where Anita Ekberg famously wades into the fountain and calls out to Marcello Mastroianni, saying, “Marcello! Come here!”
