Trevi Fountain Pool: When will Rome's most famous attraction re-open, why is it closed and what does it look like now?

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Rome’s most famous attraction, the Trevi Fountain Pool, is closed with a small little pool offered as an alternative.

The fountain has recently been drained while it undergoes maintenance ahead of the huge Jubilee event taking place next year presided over by the Roman Catholic Church. Tourists head to the Trevi Fountain to throw in a coin for good luck.

A small little pool has been made for tourists to thrown coins into instead which has been slammed as “ugly”. It is a small wooden box that has a plastic barrier.

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One tourist who has been to Rome six times said: "I’m disappointed to find a pool this time – it’s just not the same." Another person said they saw people still throwing coins into the empty fountain.

They wrote: "Tourists were still trying to chuck coins into the empty fountain, regardless of the maintenance people working around the fountain. It was gross to see people acting so rude."

As much as €1.5million (£1.2million) is collected from the fountain every year, which is donated to a Catholic charity. The act of coin tossing - which is over left shoulder with your right hand - is said to mean you will return to Rome.

Throw two coins and you'll “fall in love with a beautiful Italian” and three coins means you will marry them, according to the superstition. The tradition of throwing coins into the fountain has been in place since it first opened.

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The Fountain was last deep-cleaned in 2014 for restoration. The restoration was funded by the Italian fashion house Fendi, who donated $4 million to the project. The restoration included the installation of a plexiglass bridge to help with the work.

The Trevi Fountain is cleaned twice a month by workers who drain the fountain. The fountain's floor is also cleaned twice a week to remove coins and prevent damage.

The Fountain is currently closed for renovations in preparation for the 2025 Jubilee. As part of the renovations, a glass walkway will be built so that visitors can walk over the fountain.

It is scheduled to reopen after a three-month restoration project in time for Christmas Eve. The current restoration project includes removing calcium buildup from the fountain's lower basin, removing rust from the bolts holding the fountain together and tending to the grounds around the fountain

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