Visiting the main attraction of Rome is going to be paid: how much will it cost

One of the most popular attractions in Rome may become a paid tourist attraction. The authorities are considering this possibility to preserve the historical heritage and reduce the number of visitors.

The ticket price will be more symbolic, but given the tourist flow, it can significantly fill the budget. The details were reported by Corriere della Sera.

The Trevi Fountain is the largest in Rome, 25.9 meters high and 19.8 meters wide. Even without a tourist tax, it receives more than 1.5 million euros a year – all thanks to a superstition. It is said that if you throw a coin into the fountain, you will definitely return to Rome soon. If you toss two coins, you will soon meet love, three coins will lead to a wedding, and four coins will lead to wealth.

The fountain was built in 1629 at the crossroads of three roads, marking the main location of one of Rome's 11 aqueducts.

However, Pope Urban VIII did not like the simple architecture of the fountain, and he asked sculptor Lorenzo Bernini to create new sketches. The pope died, the project was closed, and new work began only a century later. The architect Nicola Salvi added a wall to the facade of the palace in the form of a Roman triumphal arch, and Neptune on a chariot became the central figure. The facade of the Palazzo Poli, inaugurated in 1762, and commissioned by Pope Clement XII, attracts millions of visitors every year.

In 1998, the fountain was restored with water pumps and oxidizers.

In Rome, Alessandro Onorato, a tourism adviser, asks the government to give municipalities more autonomy to set tourist fees. Romans will have free access to the Trevi Fountain, while foreigners will have to pay 1 euro.

The purpose of introducing quotas is to protect monuments and places of greatest interest from destruction.

The Roman authorities claim that the purpose of the innovation is not to make money but to better control the crowds of tourists, as this is a historical heritage that needs to be preserved.

The final decision has not yet been made.

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