Italy: Pantheon to start charging entry fee from Monday, says tourism ministry

One of the world’s most ancient and best-preserved sites, the Pantheon in Rome, will now charge its visitors an entrance fee, startingMonday. Italy’s tourism ministry has announced that all the people visiting the ancient monument have to pay 5 euro ($5.45) as an entrance fee.

The new charge "won't stop many people coming to visit", French visitor Camille Piallat predicted, as he queued to buy his ticket in the sunshine.

Pantheon, the vast cylindrical temple whose undamaged exterior wall supports a 43.3 metre-high (142 ft) dome, attracts millions of tourists every year, making it one of Italy’s top tourist destinations.

Why is Italy now charging visitors?

The introduction of the 5 euro entry fee is part of a national initiative to generate more revenues from the country’s cultural assets. The Tourism Ministry has set a goal of allocating 70 per cent of the revenue for covering maintenance and cleaning, while the rest is anticipated to be distributed to the Diocese of Rome. Worshippers during religious services are exempted from paying an entry fee.

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The Pantheon's current form and six-metre-thick walls date from the early part of the reign of Emperor Hadrian, who came to power in AD117. It remains the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome and has a circular skylight at its crown.

The building survived the Barbarian attacks on Rome and was transformed into a Christian church in 609.

"If it's going to stay for another 2000 (years), they need some money," German tourist Karsten Kohler said on Friday, queuing up for one of the last free tickets on offer.

Pantheon: Must-visit attraction in Rome

Any tourist, who visits Rome, plans for Pantheon, as it is a must-see attraction in the city. It was a free-of-charge tourist spot before the Tourism Ministry of Italy introduced the entry fee, while other monuments and attractions all charge for entry.

According to RomeSite, one attraction that people should not skip is the Colosseum, the large amphitheatre that used to have a capacity of 65,000 spectators in Roman times. However, the price for visiting the site can be very high, varying between €35 ($38.15) and €97 ($105.74) for audio guides in multiple languages.

All tourist attractions, except Pantheon, charge a heavy entry fee. St. Peter’s Basilica, also an important attraction in Rome, has an entry fee varying between 39 euro ($42.51) and 49 euro ($53.41).

Caring for art and architecture has long posed a challenge for a country that is responsible for more UNESCO world heritage sites than any other and has long-standing problems of bureaucracy and low public funding.

(With inputs from agencies)

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