Rome's Trevi Fountain Reopens After Three-Month Clean-Up

Rome's famous Trevi Fountain reopened Sunday following a three-month clean-up, but visitors will for now be limited to 400 to avoid the crowds of the past

Rome's iconic Trevi Fountain reopened to the public on Sunday following a three-month clean-up, but visitor numbers will be capped at 400 for the time being to avoid the large crowds seen in the past, the city's mayor said.

Speaking to reporters at the famous landmark, Roberto Gualtieri said the limit, which could be adjusted in the future, will "allow everyone to better enjoy the fountain, without crowds or confusion."

Gualtieri also said that city authorities are considering introducing a small entry fee to help pay for the fountain's upkeep, among other things.

The clean-up of the fountain and other key city sites is "aimed at returning the majority of the monuments to the city in time for the start of the Jubilee," Claudio Parisi Presicce, Rome's superintendent for cultural heritage sites, told AFP-TV.

The Catholic Church's jubilee year will begin on December 24.

One of the most visited sites in Rome, the Trevi Fountain has featured in numerous films set in the city, including a classic scene in Federico Fellini's "La Dolce Vita," where Anita Ekberg invites Marcello Mastroianni to join her in the fountain's basin.

The fountain's reopening on Sunday took place in light rain and was attended by several hundred tourists, many of whom followed the mayor's example by tossing a coin into the fountain.

On average, between 10,000 and 12,000 tourists visit the Trevi Fountain each day.

Tossing a coin into the water while making a wish has become such a tradition that the city authorities used to collect around €10,000 ($10,500) per week, which was then donated to the Caritas charity to provide meals for the poor.

The three-month cleaning project involved removing mold and calcium incrustations from the fountain.

The Trevi Fountain is just one of the sites being cleaned up across the Italian capital as it prepares for the arrival of 33 million people in 2025 for the Jubilee.

Declared by Pope Francis, the event will be a year of pilgrimage and prayer, and will feature religious and cultural events held across the Vatican and Rome. It takes place roughly every 25 years.