Legend has it that tossing a coin into Rome’s Trevi Fountain guarantees a return to the Eternal City. Two coins promise love with an Italian. Three, marrying an Italian.
As of February 2, however, making any of those wishes comes with a price. Visitors now need to buy a 2-euro ticket — just over $2 — to approach the fountain and throw coins into its waters,
CNN reports.
Rome’s city government introduced the new ticketing system for non-residents as part of its latest effort to manage crowds at one of the capital’s most overwhelmed landmarks. Tickets are required from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Mondays and Fridays, and from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. the rest of the week. After 10 p.m., the barriers are opened and access is free for all.
On the first day of the new system, not everyone was convinced. A group of Spanish tourists, unwilling to pay, stood outside the barriers and flung coins toward the fountain from above — several missing the water entirely. Below, paying visitors ducked as coins rained down. A city official said patrols would eventually be introduced to prevent injuries from errant throws.
