Rome introduces Trevi Fountain access fee to curb coin-tossing crowds
ROME 鈥 Tourists keen to follow tradition by tossing a coin into Rome鈥檚 Trevi Fountain will need to dig a little deeper from Monday, as the city introduces a new 鈧2 ($2.40) visitor fee.
The charge, aimed at easing overtourism and helping fund upkeep of the monument, applies only to visitors who walk down the stone steps to get close to the fountain鈥檚 basin.
The surrounding square, which offers views of the landmark, will remain freely accessible.
The fee will be levied from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends. Under rules first announced in December, Rome residents are exempt, along with people with disabilities and their companions, and children under six.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know that we had to pay, but I have no problem with that,鈥 said Argentine tourist Valentina De Vicentis, one of those affected by the new fee. She said she expected it to ease overcrowding.
鈥淭here are less people in here, so I think that鈥檚 good, because if not, there are a lot of people and you can鈥檛 take pictures and you can鈥檛 stay (for a long) time and enjoy.鈥
The Trevi Fountain, where tradition dictates that visitors toss a coin into the water to guarantee their return to Rome, has long been one of the city鈥檚 most popular attractions, even for visiting world leaders.
It is remembered for the famous film scene in Federico Fellini鈥檚 La Dolce Vita, in which Anita Ekberg wades into the fountain and beckons her co-star Marcello Mastroianni to join her: 鈥淢arcello! Come here!鈥
10 MILLION VISITORS PER YEAR
Authorities say more than 10 million people visited the fountain in the December 2024-December 2025 period, which largely coincided with a Catholic Holy Year, or Jubilee, which drew about 33.5 million pilgrims to Rome.
Fed by an ancient Roman aqueduct and completed in 1762, the monument is a late Baroque masterpiece depicting Oceanus, the god of all water, symbolizing the varying moods of the world鈥檚 seas and rivers.
With tourism booming in Rome and across Italy, visitor fees have been introduced at a growing number of cultural landmarks.
They include Rome鈥檚 ancient Pantheon, the entire city of Venice during the peak travel season, and, on a temporary basis, the courtyard in Verona with the balcony associated with Shakespeare鈥檚 Romeo and Juliet. 鈥 Reuters
