Tourists arriving in Rome will soon be forced to pay five euros to get into one of Italy’s most popular attractions, the Pantheon. This was agreed upon yesterday by the Italian Ministry of Culture and church officials.
Built-in the first century BC, the impressive domed temple is Italy’s most popular cultural site and attracts millions of visitors every year. In AD 609, it was converted into a Catholic church and renamed the Basilica of Saint Mary and the Martyrs. It also regularly hosts worship services.
Entrance fees will be split: 70% will go to the Ministry of Culture, which will help cover maintenance and cleaning costs, and the remainder will go to the Diocese of Rome.
Why will the Pantheon charge an entrance fee?
Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano said the move was “common sense”. The introduction of the entrance fee comes five years after the previous government shelved plans to start charging visitors two euros.
Under the new plan, visitors under the age of 25 will be charged a reduced fee of two euros. In addition, entry will be free for residents of Rome, minors, people attending mass, basilica staff, etc.
The date of introduction of the fee has not been named, as officials are finalizing the technical details. At present, the Pantheon is still free to enter, and reservations are required on weekends and public holidays.
Which tourist attractions in Rome are still free?
If you’re planning a holiday in Rome and want to stay on budget, fear not, there are still plenty of free things to do here. The city has an incredible number of beautiful streets and outdoor photo opportunities such as the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps.
If you love churches, the great thing about Rome is that almost every street has free churches to visit. And you never know what awaits you behind the simplest facade. Among the most interesting churches is the Basilica of Santa Prassede, Santa Maria Maggiore, and the Basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo.
Of course, the Vatican is home to St. Peter’s Basilica, which boasts the world’s tallest dome at 136.5 meters. If you plan to visit it, be sure to book your tickets in advance to avoid queues that can stand for several hours.
Well, if you want to touch Roman history and don’t want to pay a lot for it, then you can look at the Roman Forum, for example, from the outside. Most of it can be seen from Via dei Fori Imperiali. Well, plan your trip in such a way that you will be in Rome on the first Sunday of each month – at this time the entrance to the Forum, the Colosseum, and the Palatine Hill is usually free.
In addition, every year on April 21, in honor of the birthday of Rome, many paid museums and monuments can be entered for free.