Rome will introduce a queuing system when the Trevi Fountain reopens after its restoration

Rome’s world-famous Trevi Fountain has reopened after a three-month restoration.

Built in the 18th century by the Italian architect Nicola Salvi on the façade of the Poli Palace, the historic fountain is one of the most visited places in the city.

Between 10,000 and 12,000 tourists used to visit the Trevi Fountain each day, but a new queuing system has been installed to prevent large crowds from gathering near the monument.

Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri said Sunday that imposing the limit “will allow everyone to better enjoy the fountain, without crowds or confusion.”

Gualtieri also said city officials were considering charging a modest entrance fee to finance maintenance of the fountain.

Sunday’s reopening took place under light rain and in the presence of several hundred tourists, many of whom followed the mayor by throwing a coin into the fountain.

The three-month cleanup project involved removing mold and calcium scale.

The fountain and other key sites in the city have been cleaned ahead of the Roman Catholic Church’s jubilee which begins on Christmas Eve.

Its poor structural condition was exposed in 2012 when pieces of its elaborate cornice began to fall off after an especially harsh winter that required a multimillion-dollar renovation the following year.

Making a wish and throwing a coin into the water is such a tradition that the city authorities used to raise around 10,000 euros (£8,300; $10,500) a week.

The money was donated to a charity that provides meals to the poor.

• Commissioned by Pope Clement XII in 1730
• It is the end point of one of the aqueducts that supplied water to ancient Rome.
• The Acqua Vergine runs a total of 20 km (12 miles) before emptying into the source.
• Tourists can drink from a special tap hidden to the side.
• According to legend, the water source was discovered in the year 19 BC. C. by thirsty Roman soldiers who were led to the place by a young virgin; That’s why it is called Virgin Waters.
• The tradition of throwing coins into the fountain was made famous by Frank Sinatra’s Three Coins in the Fountain in the 1954 romantic comedy of the same name.