(ANSA) - Rome, June 5 - Restoration began Thursday on the
world-famous Trevi Fountain in Rome.
Work on the 18th-century Baroque masterpiece will continue
for about a year and a half.
Water shot from the fountain to the "Oohs" of watching
tourists Thursday morning after a routine cleaning and
collection of coins - but behind metal fencing, as restoration
will be conducted in public view.
A walkway above the central portion of the fountain will
allow visitors to catch a better glimpse of ongoing work.
Water will be drained during the process, but tourists will
still be able to cast their coins for luck in the fountain
immortalized by numerous movie stars, including a frolicking
Anita Eckberg and Marcello Mastroianni in Federico Fellini's La
Dolce Vita.
Fendi is financing restoration of the Trevi Fountain in an
initiative similar to work on the Colosseum and the Spanish
steps, financed by Tod's entrepreneur Diego Della Valle's and
the jeweler Bulgari, respectively.
Restoration begun on Trevi Fountain in Rome - update
Work to be visible to visitors