Trevi Fountain, a barrier against tourists sitting on the edge may be coming soon

Forcing tourists not to sit on the edge of the Trevi Fountain: that is the goal of a motion proposed by Councilman Andrea Coia of the 5 Star Movement and approved yesterday by the Rome Capital City Council with 24 votes in favor and one abstention. How? With a protective barrier, which, the text of the address reads, “prevents people from sitting on the edge of the fountain,” and which must be made “according to the technical requirements provided by the superintendencies.” In addition, the motion also calls for the establishment of a “fixed garrison that will also include the control of the access routes to the Trevi Fountain and the Colosseum area” to combatsquatting. The garrison is also to control access routes to the fountain.

The proposal has already sparked controversy, some of which is also internal: culture councillor Luca Bergamo and commerce councillor Carlo Cafarotti have in fact sided against the idea of the “protective barrier,” believing it more appropriate, if anything, to regulate the flows in the area in another way. Bergamo, who is also deputy mayor, thinks “it is more effective to regulate flows in the area around the Trevi Fountain than to erect a barrier. In Rome, as in other cities in Italy and around the world, mass tourism changes, often negatively, the conditions for freely enjoying the beauty in the historic centers and beyond.” The councilor added, “in order to identify interventions capable of reconciling the right and pleasure of appreciating the Trevi Fountain with its best preservation, I think an international comparison of ideas on flow management in the area is preferable to improvised solutions. Through the confrontation of ideas, not only do innovative solutions emerge but a debate is created about the future of historic centers in an era of increasing tourism, a discussion that I believe is indispensable.”

Explaining the nature of the possible barrier was Mayor Virginia Raggi herself, who is evidently in favor of the measure: “I want to explain the idea, so as to avert unfounded controversy,” she wrote on her Facebook page. "It would be a barrier similar to those already made for so many other fountains in Rome, from the Fountain of Turtles in Piazza Mattei to the Fountain of the Four Rivers in Piazza Navona. It is a metal railing, less than a meter high, surrounding the fountains in question to prevent access to the monument. “It is a solution that would not obscure the view of the Trevi Fountain,” Virginia Raggi added, “and would allow the traditional throwing of coins, a ritual for anyone visiting our city.”

“I also want to add,” the first citizen concluded, “that in this way our policemen could devote more of their time to guarding the entire square, which we have freed from the stalls that obstructed the view, to combat the presence of illegal vendors. I hope that the cultural heritage superintendencies will evaluate this project positively and quickly, so that we will soon be able to see the Trevi Fountain square completely redeveloped.”

Pictured: tourists at the Trevi Fountain. Ph. Credit

Trevi Fountain, a barrier against tourists sitting on the edge may be coming soon

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