Italian culture minister satisfied with new ticket system.

The Pantheon has taken in almost €200,000 in ticket sales since a new ticketing system was introduced at the Rome landmark a week ago, Italy's culture minister announced on Monday.

"The numbers relating to the first week of paid entrances to the Pantheon are decidedly positive", said Gennaro Sangiuliano, who told reporters that the Pantheon had welcomed more than 50,000 visitors since it began charging tourists entry fees on 3 July.

The total admissions at the monument over the last week were 51,275, generating €192,173 in ticket sales, reports state broadcaster RAI News.

• Italy's Pantheon makes €20,000 on first day of ticket sales

Just over half the tickets were purchased online, a fact hailed by Sangiuliano as "significant" and "a sign of a progressive affirmation" of the new ticketing system.

#Pantheon, Il Ministro @g_sangiuliano: “Prima settimana con oltre 50mila ingressi, incasso di quasi 200mila euro. Un dato che mi rende felice riguarda, inoltre, i 4830 giovani che hanno scelto di visitare uno dei monumenti meglio conservati al mondo”. https://t.co/Chctts1OeJ #MiC pic.twitter.com/RGaDUI2dpe

— Ministero della Cultura (@MiC_Italia) July 11, 2023

"A figure that also makes me happy concerns the 4,830 reduced admissions, young people between 18 and 25 who have chosen to visit, over the last seven days, one of the best preserved ancient monuments in the world".

Under the new system tourists are required to pay €5 to enter the historic site whose daily opening hours are 09.00-19.00 (last admission 18.30).

• How to visit the Pantheon in Rome: a quick guide

However the site remains free to Rome residents, visitors with disabilities and the under-18s, while visitors aged 18 to 25 pay a discounted entry fee of €3.

Proceeds from the ticket sales are divided between the culture ministry, which receives 70 per cent, with the remaining 30 per cent going to the diocese of Rome.

The culture ministry will bear the costs of cleaning and maintenance at the Pantheon while church authorities will use the funds for charity and the upkeep of of state-owned churches in Rome.

The Pantheon is the most visited heritage site in Italy, attracting around nine million visitors a year.

Photo RAI