Trevi Fountain Walkway Gains Popularity... 75,000 Won Fine for Throwing Coins

Up to 130 People Can Stand on the Walkway
Admission Fee Planned Once Fountain Construction Is Completed
Controversy Over Rectangular Tank Placed in Front of the Fountain

Aerial walkways have recently been installed at the Trevi Fountain, a representative tourist attraction in Rome, Italy, currently under construction.

On the 11th (local time), the Italian daily newspaper Corriere della Sera reported that many tourists flocked to cross the aerial walkway, which opened on the 9th. The steel walkway crossing over the Trevi Fountain can hold up to 130 people at once. Roberto Gualtieri, the mayor of Rome, stated at the opening ceremony that it would be a rare opportunity and a unique experience for tourists to see the Trevi Fountain up close.

Aerial walkways have been installed at the Trevi Fountain, a representative tourist attraction in Rome, Italy, which is currently under construction. On the 11th (local time), the Italian daily newspaper Corriere della Sera reported that many tourists flocked to cross the aerial walkway that opened on the 9th. AP Yonhap News

Earlier, the Rome city authorities began extensive maintenance work on the Trevi Fountain from early last month in preparation for the Catholic Jubilee next year. Fences were erected around the fountain to block tourist access, and the water that filled the fountain was drained. The city expects that the aerial walkway, which will be in operation until the end of the year when the construction is completed, will somewhat alleviate tourists' disappointment. In 2014, a temporary walkway was also installed over the Trevi Fountain during an 18-month restoration period.

However, throwing coins into the fountain from this walkway is prohibited. Violators will be fined 50 euros (approximately 75,000 won). Those who wish to throw coins and make a wish must throw their coins into a rectangular-shaped temporary basin recently installed by the Rome city authorities in front of the fountain. The coins collected from the temporary basin will be donated to the Catholic charity Caritas. According to the city of Rome, this measure was taken to soothe tourists' disappointment and to prevent accidents where workers inside the fountain might be hit by coins thrown by tourists. However, tourists have expressed disappointment, saying the temporary basin looks like a "foot-washing basin" or "an eyesore." One netizen wrote on social media, "This is the saddest thing I have seen in Italy." Another netizen commented, "It looks like a small pool where children pee in the summer."

Those who wish to make a wish by tossing a coin must throw it into a rectangular prism-shaped water tank recently installed by the Rome city authorities in front of the fountain. The coins collected from the temporary tank will be donated to the Catholic charity organization Caritas. According to the Rome city officials, this measure was taken to soothe the disappointment of tourists and to prevent accidents where workers inside the fountain might get hit by coins thrown by tourists. Reuters Yonhap News

Meanwhile, the city of Rome plans to charge a small admission fee to tourists once the Trevi Fountain construction is completed. Visitors will need to make a reservation in advance and pay an entrance fee of 2 euros (approximately 3,000 won). Completed in 1762, the Trevi Fountain is a masterpiece of late Baroque style and a famous landmark in Rome, attracting millions of tourists annually. According to legend, if you throw a coin over your left shoulder with your right hand while facing away from the fountain, you will return to Rome. Tourists from around the world have been throwing coins into the fountain for this reason. Especially, the scene where actress Audrey Hepburn throws a coin at the fountain in the 1953 film "Roman Holiday" helped make it a world-famous tourist attraction.