Tourists begin paying to see Rome's Trevi Fountain

The surrounding square, which offers views of the landmark, will remain freely accessible.

Under rules first announced in December, Rome residents are exempt, along with people with disabilities and ‍their companions, and children under the age of six.

The Trevi fee was rolled out in conjunction with a new 5-euro tourist ticket fee for some city museums.

"I didn't know that we had to pay but I have no problem with that," said Argentine tourist Valentina De Vicentis, one of those affected by the new fee.

She said she expected it to ease overcrowding.

"There are less people in here, so I think that's good, because if not, there are a lot of people ​and you can't take pictures and you can't stay (for a ‌long) time and enjoy."

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's most popular attractions, even for visiting world leaders.

It is remembered for the ‍famous film scene in Federico Fellini's La Dolce Vita in which Anita Ekberg wades into the fountain and beckons her co-star Marcello Mastroianni to join her: "Marcello! Come here!"

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, symbolising the varying moods of the world's 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's 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's Romeo and Juliet.

with AP