Rome enters "season of reopenings", mayor says.

Rome has completed the restoration of three landmark fountains, one in front of the Pantheon and two in Piazza Navona, ahead of the Vatican's Jubilee Year in 2025.

The restoration work, which began in April, was overseen by Rome's superintendence as part of the Caput Mundi conservation scheme of Jubilee-related projects funded by Italy's Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR).

Rome mayor Roberto Gualtieri switched on the water at the 16th-century fountain in Piazza della Rotonda, against the backdrop of the Pantheon, on Wednesday.

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The mayor stressed that the work carried out on the fountain was restoration - not maintenance - and that the last time it was restored was in 1992.

Commenting on the history of the fountain, Gualtieri noted that work began during the Jubilee of 1575, with sculptor Leonardo Sormani following the designs of Giacomo dell Porta.

After being hidden away for the last seven months, Rome unveils the restored fountain by Giacomo della Porta in front of the Pantheon. pic.twitter.com/y94LkScK37

— Wanted in Rome (@wantedinrome) November 28, 2024

The city also unveiled two newly restored historic fountains at either end of Piazza Navona: the Fountain of Neptune and the Fountain of the Moor.

The central fountain in the piazza, Bernini's 17th-century Fountain of the Four Rivers - is also undergoing restoration and is set to be uncovered on 20 December.

"We are very happy because we are starting to remove the barriers and return these monuments to their beauty, to the city and to the world", Gualtieri said.

The mayor said that Rome has entered "the season of reopenings" after more than a year of major Jubilee projects that have tested the patience of the city's residents and left tourists disappointed.

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The upcoming Jubilee Year, an event held every quarter-century, is expected to attract around 32 million pilgrims and tourists to the Eternal City.

Photo Wanted in Rome, Piazza della Rotonda, 28 November 2024.