Rome to limit tourist access to Trevi Fountain.

Rome's city council assembly has backed plans to install a barrier around the famed Trevi Fountain to protect the Baroque monument from hordes of tourists.

The motion, which will be put to Rome mayor Virginia Raggi to implement, will see a protective barrier for the basin of the Trevi Fountain to prevent people from sitting.

Over the last year Rome police have been stopping tourists from sitting around the Trevi Fountain, as part of strict new measures to safeguard the city's heritage.

The installation of a barrier would prevent crowds from getting near the waters of the fountain, where tourists queue up in their thousands each day to throw the customary coin.

In recent years the Trevi Fountain has witnessed an increasing amount of bad behaviour, from tourists jumping into the water naked and climbing the monument, to fighting over "selfie space" and even pouring alcohol into the fountain's waters.

The Baroque masterpiece was in the news again this week, with plans to open a secret balcony overlooking the fountain.

Photos La Repubblica