ROME (AP) -- Rome's iconic Trevi Fountain reopened on Sunday ahead of the inauguration of the 2025 Jubilee Holy Year, following the completion of extraordinary maintenance.
The three-month renovation work included removing dirt, pollution and limescale from the 18th-century monument, one of the main attractions for tourists visiting the Italian capital.
To avoid overcrowding, the monument will now be limited to 400 visitors at a time.
For now, visitors won't be required to pay a ticket, although the introduction of a fee has not been ruled out in the future, Rome's mayor Roberto Gualtieri said on Sunday.
During maintenance work, a walkway was installed to enable tourists to view the Roman landmar k while it was being cleaned.
Visitors were also allowed to make their traditional coin toss into a makeshift pool from the walkway, honoring the world-known tradition.
City lore has it that tossing a coin into the Baroque fountain will ensure a return trip to Rome. This tradition generates an estimated 1.5 million euros ($1.6 million) annually, which has been donated to the Catholic charity Caritas for the past 15 years.
To manage the overwhelming number of tourists visiting the fountain, and the huge crowd expected for the Jubilee, Rome City officials have been devising a plan to block off the area around the fountain.
Visitors will be required to book online and then pay a fee of 2 euros ($2.20) to get in. Once inside, they will have 30 minutes to enjoy the fountain.
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