- Juan Mata agent slammed as 'cowardly' by angry A-League coach
- Marta inspires Orlando Pride to NWSL title
- Palestinian pottery sees revival in war-ravaged Gaza
- Main points of the $300 billion climate deal
- Robertson wants policy change for overseas-based All Blacks
- Israel retreat helps rescuers heal from October 7 attack
- Afghan women turn to entrepreneurship under Taliban
- Mounting economic costs of India's killer smog
- At climate talks, painstaking diplomacy and then anger
- Uruguayans head to polls with left hoping for comeback
- Trump's mass deportation plan could end up hurting economic growth
- Iran director in exile says 'bittersweet' to rep Germany at Oscars
- US consumers to bargain hunt in annual 'Black Friday' spree
- Cheers, angst as US nuclear plant Three Mile Island to reopen
- Scientists seek miracle pill to stop methane cow burps
- Australia ditches plans to fine tech giants for misinformation
- Developing nations slam 'paltry' $300 bn climate deal
- Red Bulls win 'Hudson River derby' to reach conference final
- Neuville wins world title after Tanak crashes at Rally Japan
- Neuville wins world rally title after Tanak crashes in Japan
- Colapinto cleared for Las Vegas GP despite heavy crash
- 'Smiling One' Amorim vows he has ruthless streak Man Utd need
- Marseille down Lens to stay in touch with Ligue 1 leaders, Lyon draw
- New Zealand beat 'proud' Italy in Cane's Test farewell
- Barca collapse in Celta draw without Yamal, Simeone hits milestone
- Thailand's Jeeno equals Yin for lead at LPGA Tour Championship
- New Zealand beat Italy in Cane's Test farewell
- Marseille down Lens to stay in touch with Ligue 1 leaders, Lyon held to draw
- Liga leaders Barca suffer late collapse in Celta draw
- Retegui fires Atalanta top of Serie A ahead of Inter
- Greaves hits maiden Test century as West Indies dominate Bangladesh
- Venezuela opposition calls for mass anti-Maduro protest on Dec. 1
- 'Fragile' Man City in uncharted territory, admits Guardiola
- Erasmus hails Springbok strength in depth after thrashing Wales
- Postecoglou calls for consistent Spurs after Man City rout
- 'We've never lived this situation' admits Guardiola
- Lebanon says more than 55 killed in Israeli strikes
- 'We've never lived this situation' admits Guardiola as Man City lose five in a row
- Under-fire Gatland 'motivated' to continue as Wales coach
- South Africa send Wales crashing to 87-year low in Test rout
- Spurs condemn Man City to fifth straight defeat as Arsenal win
- Defeated Leipzig lose more ground on Bayern, Frankfurt go second
- South Africa put Wales to the sword to wrap up season
- Spurs thrash Man City 4-0 to end 52-match unbeaten home run
- Defeated Leipzig lose more ground on Bayern
- Venezuela opposition calls for 'enormous' anti-Maduro protest
- Inter take Serie A lead as AC Milan and Juve bore in stalemate
- England captain George wary of Jones's influence on Japan
- Thousands demand lower rents at Barcelona demo
- 'Puzzle' master Sinner powers champions Italy back into Davis Cup final
Rome's Trevi Fountain unveils tourist catwalk during cleaning
A suspended walkway providing tourists an up-close view of Rome's Trevi Fountain was unveiled Saturday, a temporary addition while the famous "La Dolce Vita" site undergoes a cleaning.
The Baroque masterpiece constructed on the facade of a palace is one of the most popular sites in Rome for tourists, who strain over the crowds to throw their coins into its water.
While the fountain is being cleaned to remove limestone deposits and grime, however, the walkway positioned over its basin will accommodate some 130 people at a time to take a closer look.
That will give tourists "an experience not ruined by excessive crowding," said Rome's mayor, Roberto Gualtieri.
"We wanted to give everybody the opportunity to admire the fountain and to do this from a unique perspective, because what you can see from the walkway, you will never be able to see normally," he said.
French tourist Franc Petretto, 50, was one of the first to walk across the passageway, calling the view "wonderful and very, very beautiful."
"Even without the water flowing inside the fountain, you can really see that the architecture is serious... and that's really very pleasing," he said.
Micaela di Caterina, a 32-year-old visiting from Argentina, agreed, saying the up-close look at the intricate sculptures of Oceanus, father of the river gods, and his sea-horses was "incredible".
Still, she acknowledged, it was "kind of weird" to be walking over the fountain.
- No coin toss -
The fountain -- where Anita Ekberg frolicked in Federico Fellini's 1960 film "La Dolce Vita" -- last got a thorough scrub a decade ago during an 18-month renovation sponsored by Fendi.
Then, too, the Italian fashion house installed a plexiglass bridge above the basin allowing tourists to still admire the fountain.
The current work involves removing limestone deposits on the fountain's facade, which can turn black with time, while removing loose material between stones where vegetation grows.
Tourists won't be allowed to toss coins over their shoulders into the fountain's basin -- where tradition has it that visitors who do so will return to Rome.
Instead, a small pool set up next to the walkway has been installed to receive spare change.
That pool "allows us to avoid throwing coins, which, without water, would damage the fountain," Gualtieri said, adding that anyone doing so would be fined.
It also allows the flow of donations to Rome's needy to continue.
Every week, authorities recuperated some 10,000 euros in coins from Trevi Fountain, which were donated to the Caritas charity to fund meals, said Gaultieri.
"We are proud not to have interrupted such an important work for those in difficulty," he said.
The walkway will be up until the cleaning is complete, sometime in December.
Gaultieri said city officials were still considering a possible ticketing system to control the crowds at Trevi Fountain once the cleaning is over.
Visitor numbers are expected to surge next year for the Jubilee, a holy year held by the Catholic Church around once every 25 years, with some 30 million people expected in Rome and the Vatican.
P.Anderson--BTB