Trevi Fountain walkway to remain in place for duration of works.

Rome mayor Roberto Gualtieri on Saturday inaugurated an elevated walkway across the front of the Trevi Fountain as the Baroque monument undergoes maintenance work.

Crowds of tourists queued up to cross the temporary structure, in place for the duration of the works which are scheduled to finish by the end of this year in time for the Vatican's Jubilee 2025.

Gualtieri described the view from the steel bridge as "truly spectacular", with city authorities boasting that the raised walkway will offer visitors an "unprecedented view" of the monument.

The walkway will be accessible every day from 09.00 to 21.00, with last entry at 20.30. On Mondays and Fridays, the opening will be delayed until 11.00 to allow for the collection of coins.

Up to 130 people at a time will be able to stand for a few minutes on the walkway which will remain set up until restoration work is completed in December, Corriere della Sera reports.

The fountain is currently drained, with many tourists arriving at the landmark in recent weeks expressing their disappointment at finding it behind perspex barriers.

Recent photographs and videos of the fountain, shared by Wanted in Rome on social media, have largely been met with indignation, from both Italians and foreigners.

Local traders have also voiced their opposition to the walkway, over fears that it will damage the fountain's travertine basin, however the city's superintendency has assured that the structure poses no danger to the monument.

Crowds of tourists queue up to cross the new elevated walkway over the Trevi Fountain, inaugurated today by the mayor of Rome. pic.twitter.com/JdMAdolEvL

— Wanted in Rome (@wantedinrome) November 9, 2024

The city has attempted to keep alive the tradition of tossing coins into the fountain by creating a makeshift tub which has been poorly received by tourists and Romans who have dubbed it a "municipal swimming pool".

Tourists crossing the temporary bridge have been warned that they face a €50 fine if they toss coins into the empty basin, with coins only allowed to be thrown into the stand-in pool.

The tossed coins, which normally add up to add up to around €1.5 million each year, are collected by the Caritas charity which uses the funds to help Rome's homeless people and families in need.

The maintenance works and cleaning of the iconic fountain come a decade after the monument underwent a major restoration sponsored by fashion house Fendi.

After the barriers and the “swimming pool” for coins, Rome installs a raised walkway across the front of the Trevi Fountain to offer crowds a rare close-up view of the monument while it undergoes maintenance work. pic.twitter.com/GfOAUO2hzE

— Wanted in Rome (@wantedinrome) November 5, 2024

Last month Gualtieri confirmed that the city will limit access to the Trevi Fountain once the maintenance work is complete, with tourists admitted through cordons operated by on-site staff.

The maximum amount of people allowed at a time will be established after the trial phase in the new year however Gualtieri has suggested that this number could be around 100.

The move comes as the city steps closer to introducing an entry fee to visit the 18th-century fountain, described by Gualtieri as "a small contribution" and expected to be €2.

Rome residents will be excluded from paying the proposed entry fee.

Under the plan, the number of people visiting the lower basin area of the monument will be controlled while the upper part of the piazza will remain freely accessible.

Tourists in Rome toss coins into a tiny tub at the Trevi Fountain as the landmark undergoes maintenance. Not all coins hit the target. pic.twitter.com/TYSTLY1BXA

— Wanted in Rome (@wantedinrome) November 8, 2024

Rome tourism councillor Alessandro Onorato said the maintenance project would offer a "concrete opportunity" to trial the new visiting system as part of efforts to offer tourists a "less chaotic" experience.

He also said that eating at the monument would be no longer be tolerated.

The Trevi Fountain, which dates to 1762, has become extremely overcrowded in recent years and is regularly the scene of tourists behaving badly, from jumping into the water to jostling for space to take selfies.

The planned entry fee comes as Rome and the Vatican prepare to welcome more than 30 million tourists and pilgrims to the Eternal City for the Jubilee Year.

Last year a €5 entry fee was introduced at the Pantheon, Italy's most visited landmark, generating almost €1 million in its first month of ticket sales.

Photo Wanted in Rome, 5 November 2024.