The Trevi Fountain will get a long overdue glow-up next month, a process that will alter the experience of visiting the world-famous water feature.
As the Eternal City prepares for next year’s Jubilee—a holy year of Vatican celebrations expected to draw millions of Catholic faithful to Rome—officials have announced plans to drain and thoroughly scrub the landmark.
The cleaning effort will aim to remove years worth of dirt, calcium deposits and weeds from the fountain, which last underwent an extensive cleaning in 2014. While the Trevi will remain open to visitors during the cleaning project, there will be limited access as the city plans to construct a steel and glass walkway over the fountain.
The walkway will give visitors a front-row seat to watch the technicians at work, but there won't be room for everybody.
As space on the walkway will be limited, city officials say only a small number of people will be allowed on the walkway at one time. According to The Telegraph, the mayor of Rome Roberto Gualtieri said “A set number of tourists will be allowed to enter the walkway and when they exit at the other end, other visitors will be allowed to enter".
So in other words, expect a wait.
While the water will not be flowing, the fountain will still be able to be admired as Miguel Gotor, the councilor responsible for culture, said: “We’re conscious of the fact that this is one of the most iconic monuments in the world, but the fountain will remain visible throughout the maintenance period.”
Crowds on Via de'l Lucchesi near the Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy. (Photo Credit: Philip Mallis / Flickr)
There was no mention of a fee to access the walkway despite recent discussions about charging visitors to access the Trevi Fountain, which has become an increasingly problematic bottleneck.
The cleaning project is expected to last throughout the entire month of November.
The refurbishment is just one part of a larger effort to restore Rome’s beloved fountains and monuments. The Barcaccia, the boat-shaped fountain at the bottom of the Spanish Steps, is also set for a clean, as is a tiny turtle-adorned fountain tucked away in the historic Jewish ghetto neighborhood.
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