According to AFP and Ansah news agencies, Roman Mayor Roberto Gualtieri held a press conference and announced the plan to charge Trevi Fountain. Mayor Gualtieri explained, “You can watch the Trevi Fountain for free from a distance, but only ticket holders can access it closer.” The admission fee is 2 euros, which is charged only to tourists who do not live in Rome, and Roman citizens can enter for free as it is.
The reason why the city of Rome is pushing for a fee for the Trevi Fountain is that it can solve the problem of over-tourism, which attracts millions of people, while also covering management and operation costs. The cumulative number of tourists to the Trevi Fountain this year reached about 9 million as of the 8th. This is much more than double the number of visitors (about 4 million) last year in the nearby Pantheon temple. The city of Rome estimated that if the Trevi Fountain was paid, the estimated income would be around 6.5 million euros per year. The Trevi Fountain, completed in 1762, is a Roman attraction considered a masterpiece of the late Baroque style. The fountain, which boasts a grand scale of 26 meters high depicting Greek mythical figures, was designed by architect Niccolo Salvi. The name “Trevi” is given to the place where the three-way street meets. The place is famous for people all over the world throwing coins into the fountain because of the myth that “If you stand with your back to the fountain and toss it over your left shoulder with your right hand, you can come back to Rome.” Coins thrown into the fountain are collected three times a week and washed and sorted before being donated to Catholic Charity Caritas.
In addition to the Trevi Fountain, the city of Rome will start collecting admission fees for five cultural facilities that have been free until now from February 1 next year. The Maxentius Villa, the Napoleon Museum, the Baraco Museum of Art, the Philotti Museum, and the Canonica Museum each have been converted into a fee of 5 euros.
JULIE KIM
US ASIA JOURNAL
