Tourists begin paying admission to see Rome's iconic Trevi Fountain

Tourists visiting the world-famous Trevi Fountain in Rome are paying an entrance fee as of Monday.

A fee of €2 ($2.39) is now charged for access to the cordoned-off area directly at the basin of the 18th century landmark.

The measure is intended to prevent overcrowding and better channel the flow of visitors to one of the Italian capital's main tourist attractions, which is built on an ancient Roman water source.

The new access system applies on most days of the week from 9 am to 10 pm (0800-2100 GMT), except on Mondays and Fridays, when it applies from 11:30 am to 10 pm.

An exception was made on Monday, when admission started at 9 am. The large piazza in front of the fountain remains freely accessible to all.

Tickets can be purchased in advance through a dedicated website in English and Italian that has been operational for several days.

They can also be bought by credit card at the entrance to the fountain and at several tourist information points. Residents of Rome do not have to pay.

People with disabilities and their companions, as well as children under the age of six, are also exempt.

Visiting the Trevi Fountain became a must after Anita Ekberg's bathing scene in Fellini's classic 1960 film "La dolce vita."

Every day, tens of thousands of people congregate to take photos or throw coins into the water and jostle to snap the best selfie.

For about a year, visitor numbers at the Trevi Fountain have been limited to a maximum of 400 people at the pool at any one time.

Last year, more than 10 million visitors were counted, with peaks of up to 70,000 people per day.

The ticket system is being introduced to "improve the visitor experience and protect one of the city's most beloved monuments," according to the website. Proceeds from the admission fee will be used to preserve the fountain.