By Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN

Rome (CNN) — Legend has it that tossing a coin into Rome’s Trevi Fountain guarantees a return to the Eternal City. Two coins promise love with an Italian. Three, marrying an Italian.

As of February 2, however, making any of those wishes comes with a price. Visitors now need to buy a 2-euro ticket — just over $2 — to approach the fountain and throw coins into its waters.

Rome’s city government introduced the new ticketing system for non-residents as part of its latest effort to manage crowds at one of the capital’s most overwhelmed landmarks. Tickets are required from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Mondays and Fridays, and from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. the rest of the week. After 10 p.m., the barriers are opened and access is free for all.

On the first day of the new system, not everyone was convinced. A group of Spanish tourists, unwilling to pay, stood outside the barriers and flung coins toward the fountain from above — several missing the water entirely. Below, paying visitors ducked as coins rained down. A city official said patrols would eventually be introduced to prevent injuries from errant throws.

The Trevi Fountain, immortalized in the movie “La Dolce Vita,” has become a flashpoint for Rome’s overtourism problem, particularly during the summer peak. The small piazza is often packed shoulder to shoulder with visitors, many clutching melting gelato or refilling water bottles from the fountain.

In 2024, the city tested a barrier system to limit access to the fountain’s edge, gauging whether crowd control was feasible. The result was a sharp drop in the number of people willing to queue for close-up access to the 18th-century Baroque masterpiece, which marks the terminal point of an ancient aqueduct.

Tackling overtourism

Still, demand remains high. In 2025, more than 10 million people lined up to approach the fountain, with daily peaks of around 70,000 visitors during the busiest periods, Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri said.

City officials estimate the new ticket could generate between 6.5 million and 20 million euros annually — roughly $7.7 million to $23 million.

Ticket holders will be prohibited from eating or drinking near the fountain and, officials say, will also be shielded from pickpockets who frequently target distracted tourists in the crowded square.

Alessandro Onorato, Rome’s councillor for major events, tourism, sport and fashion, said the fee was designed primarily to curb overtourism, with proceeds earmarked for maintenance costs and staffing.

“If the Trevi Fountain were in New York City, they would charge $100 to enter,” Onorato said at the inauguration on Monday morning.

Some visitors appeared unbothered by the price. Raul, a tourist from Argentina, told CNN he would gladly pay 2 euros to see the fountain up close for the first time — though he skipped the fee on Monday because he had visited before.

“Two euros is fine to pay to see something like this up close,” he said. “More than that, maybe not.” Moments later, he tossed his coin from outside the barriers.

The Trevi Fountain ticket follows a growing number of Italian measures aimed at regulating tourism, including Venice’s peak-time entry fee for day trippers, and new restrictions at social media–famous sites such as Juliet’s balcony in Verona and the Santa Maddalena church at the foot of the Dolomites in northern Italy.

The coins collected from the fountain — around 1.5 million euros a year — will continue to be donated to the Catholic charity Caritas, which funds programs for the poor.

Tickets can be bought online or via QR codes displayed at the site. Children under five, people with disabilities and Rome residents are exempt.

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