Rome’s Trevi Fountain gets temporary walkway as famous landmark undergoes cleaning

A suspended walkway giving tourists a close-up view of Rome’s Trevi Fountain was inaugurated on Saturday, a temporary addition while the famous “La Dolce Vita” site undergoes a clean-up.

This Baroque masterpiece built on the facade of a palace is one of Rome’s most popular sights with tourists, who rush above the crowds to throw their coins into the water.

While the fountain is cleaned to remove limescale and dirt, the walkway above its pool will accommodate around 130 people at a time for a closer look.

This will offer tourists “an experience that will not be spoiled by excessive crowds,” said Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri.

“We wanted to give everyone the opportunity to admire the fountain and do it from a unique perspective, because what you can see from the walkway, you will never be able to see normally,” he said. -he declared.

Work on the fountain, which includes cleaning stones from the lower part of the monument and grouting the joints, is expected to be completed by the end of the year, officials said.

French tourist Franck Petretto, 50, was one of the first to cross the passage, calling the view “wonderful and very, very beautiful.”

“Even without the water flowing inside the fountain, you can really see that the architecture is serious… and it’s really very nice,” he said.

Micaela di Caterina, a 32-year-old visiting from Argentina, agreed, saying that seeing the intricate carvings of Oceanus, the father of the river gods, and his seahorses up close was “incredible.”

Still, she admitted, it was “a little weird” walking on the fountain.

Earlier this month, a plastic barrier and small makeshift swimming pool were erected in front of the famous attraction, sparking mixed reactions from tourists. One tourist told the Associated Press that the replacement pool was “ugly.” Yet she still gave her children a few coins to throw away.

City tradition has it that throwing a coin into the fountain will guarantee a return trip to Rome. This tradition generates approximately $1.6 million per year, which has been donated to the Catholic charity Caritas for 15 years.

To handle the overwhelming number of tourists who visit the famous landmark each year, city officials are developing a plan to block off the area around the fountain. Visitors will need to book online then pay a 2 euro fee to enter.