Rome's iconic sites cloaked in scaffolding for Holy Year prep
A list of monuments tourists will not see in Rome is circulating on social media. This is due to ongoing renovation work as part of preparations for the Holy Year. The symbols of the Eternal City are fenced off and covered because of the construction.
The level of irritation in Rome is growing day by day. Tourists from abroad, as well as from Italy, are disappointed when they arrive in the Eternal City only to find that its symbols are "wrapped"—a phrase that has been circulating online for weeks.
Scaffolding instead of monuments
There are barriers, fences, scaffolding, closed streets, and signs indicating no entry everywhere you look. Tourists frequently comment upon arrival that this is the worst time they could have chosen to visit Rome.
There are currently over 6,000 renovations underway in the city, including those involving monuments on various scales. It is unknown whether they will all be completed by Pope Francis's inauguration of the Holy Year, which will take place on December 24. Next year, about 30 million pilgrims and tourists are expected for this occasion.
Piazza Venezia has become a massive construction site for a metro station, around which crowds of Romans and tourists squeeze through narrow passages. Tall green silos and cranes obscure the view of the Altare della Patria. These works also greatly hinder access to the Via dei Fori Imperiali, leading to the Colosseum.
Scaffolding and fences obscure Bernini's fountain at Piazza Navona. Access to the Trevi Fountain has also been closed, and the fountain has no water due to ongoing conservation work.
The Baroque monument has been fenced off with transparent panels. The latest addition is a viewing platform from which you can admire the fountain—coins can still be tossed into a small pool set up below.
