Rome’s Trevi Fountain glass walkway to open as entry fee debate begins

A "ticket system" has been proposed to manage the tourist density at the Trevi Fountain, one of the landmarks of Rome. Photo / Getty Images

A glass-and-steel walkway is to be built across Rome’s Trevi Fountain, restricting access to visitors as the water is emptied before a thorough scrubbing.

Only a few people will be allowed on the walkway at once in what the city authorities say will be a likely precursor to charging an entrance fee to the baroque monument.

The city announced in September it wants to introduce a tourist fee to tackle overcrowding at the landmark, which attracts millions of visitors a year.

The walkway, which will be constructed this month, will allow visitors to have a close-up view of technicians who will clean the fountain’s shallow basin of grime, calcium deposits, bacteria and weeds growing in cracks.

The huge fountain features small brackets made of bronze, lead and iron that over the years have leached orange stains on to the monument’s travertine and marble blocks.

The “extraordinary maintenance” project, as Rome city council calls it, will last throughout November, after which the walkway will be dismantled and removed.

Roberto Gualtieri, the centre-left mayor of Rome, said the walkway was an experiment that would help officials better understand the number of tourists who flocked to the fountain throughout the year.

“A set number of tourists will be allowed to enter the walkway and when they exit at the other end, other visitors will be allowed to enter”, the mayor said at the presentation of the plan in Rome’s Renaissance town hall.

“It will allow us to better study the flow of tourists and the time they spend at the Trevi.”

The information will prove useful when the authorities start restricting access to the stone steps that lead down to the fountain basin and charging an entrance fee, which is likely to begin next year.

The mayor did not reveal how much the entrance charge would be, saying only that it would be “a small contribution”, but officials have suggested it could be €1 or €2. (NZ$1.80 or $3.60).

‘Remain visible’

Miguel Gotor, the councillor responsible for culture, said: “We’re conscious of the fact that this is one of the most iconic monuments in the world, but the fountain will remain visible throughout the maintenance period.”

The restrictive measures come as Rome braces for next year’s jubilee, a special holy year of Vatican events that is expected to attract millions of pilgrims.

The Trevi Fountain is one of Rome’s most popular tourist attractions. Visitors throw a coin with their right hand over their left shoulder into the water — according to legend, the gesture ensures you will one day return to the Eternal City.

It was immortalised by a famous scene in the 1960 film La Dolce Vita when the Swedish actress Anita Ekberg waded into the water, beckoning her Italian co-star, Marcello Mastroianni, to join her.

The remarkable tableau of creamy marble features sculptures of conch-blowing Tritons, rearing horses and the god Oceanus.

Entry charge critics

The last time it underwent major cleaning and restoration was in 2014-15, when the work was paid for by Fendi, the fashion house.

The plan to charge entry to the Trevi Fountain has already caused a row in Rome, with critics saying the fee will do nothing to tackle over-tourism and that the city should remain free and open to all.

Giovanni Quarzo, of the right-wing Brothers of Italy, said: “Such a thing has never happened at the Trevi Fountain. It will be the umpteenth temporary solution from an administration that has no idea how to manage tourist numbers.”

The cleaning of the Trevi is part of an extensive programme of restoring Rome’s fountains and monuments. Barcaccia, a boat-shaped fountain that sits at the foot of the Spanish Steps, will also get a makeover, along with a small fountain featuring turtles in the Jewish ghetto district of the city.