Gualtieri says situation at Trevi Fountain becoming difficult to manage.

Rome mayor Roberto Gualtieri on Thursday confirmed that the city is studying plans to limit access to the Trevi Fountain, describing it to reporters as a "very concrete" possibility.

Gualtieri was responding to questions about a plan aired by the capital's tourism councillor Alessandro Onorato in an interview with Corriere della Sera on Wednesday.

Onorato said he was in favour of looking at ways to introduce a ticketing system at the Trevi Fountain, with tourists paying a "symbolic euro" to visit the landmark after booking their time slot.

The situation at the Trevi Fountain is "becoming very difficult to manage" - Gualtieri said on Thursday- "The local police officers also tell us this all the time: there is a concentration of people that makes adequate protection of the monument difficult and it is also often a source of degradation".

Trevi Fountain crowds today #25maggio #Rome pic.twitter.com/9jEG2i9HZk

— Wanted in Rome (@wantedinrome) May 25, 2023

The fountain is regularly the scene of tourists behaving badly, including jumping into the water (an offence that carries a fine of up to €550), jostling for space to take selfies, and dirtying the Baroque landmark with gelato and pizza.

Gualtieri said that city officials are now working to find the "best solution" to manage the flow of crowds to protect the Trevi Fountain, a move that would also be "in the interest of tourists who come from all over the world to enjoy its beauty."

Rome residents on social media have questioned the feasibility of the plan as - unlike the Pantheon where a €5 entry fee was introduced last year - the Trevi Fountain is an outdoor site with multiple access points.