The Pantheon, the most popular cultural destination in Italy, will shortly have an entrance fee of €5 (£4.40).
Representatives of the Italian church and culture signed the new deal. Gennaro Sangiuliano, the minister of culture, called the action “common sense.”
Visitors under the age of 25 may pay €2 (£1.75). However, there are no chargers for minors, those attending mass, Roman citizens, and Basilicia staff.
The culture minister will receive 70% of the entrance fee money. In addition, the diocese of Rome will receive 30%.
One of the best-preserved Roman ruins in the world, the enormous dome-shaped building was erected by the emperor Hadrian in the second century AD.
The structure includes a floor made of ancient Roman marble, Renaissance frescoes, and paintings. In addition, it is the biggest unreinforced concrete dome, which has a diameter of 43.44 meters.
It has a nine-meter-diameter opening at the summit known as the Oculus. Additionally, it serves as the only window to the outside world and as a rain gutter thanks to 22 tiny holes drilled into the marble.
The structure, which has served as a church since 609 AD, also serves as Raphael’s ultimate resting place, a renowned Renaissance artist.
The Pantheon was once said to be “the work of angels, not men,” according to Michelangelo.
In 2019, more than nine million people visited the Pantheon.
Whether or not to charge admission to visitors is a topic of intense discussion.
The new proposal was put forth five years after plans to start charging visitors a €2 entry fee failed by the previous administration.
The introduction of the fee is on hold as officials sort out the technical specifics.
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At the moment, reservations are necessary on weekends and public holidays even though admission is free.
The new cost was referred to as a “modest ticket charge for the most visited cultural site in Italy” by Mr. Sangiuliano.
