The city of Rome is being widely ridiculed after temporarily replacing the world-famous Trevi Fountain with a small pool for tourists to throw coins into.

The tourist attraction has been emptied before a €300,000 ($494,000) renovation.

Visitors are instead being encouraged to throw coins into a tiny swimming pool placed in front of the fountain’s famous sculptures.

The repair work on the fountain, which began a month ago, is being done ahead of Rome’s jubilee.

Presided over by the Catholic Church, it will run from Christmas Eve until January 6, 2026, and is expected to draw 35 million people to the Eternal City.

Mayor Roberto Gualtieri called the 3200 public construction projects – which include the Trevi fountain – an opportunity to transform Rome before the celebration.

“This is an unmissable opportunity to make structural changes,” he said.

“We are going to get a more sustainable, inclusive and innovative city that enhances its extraordinary heritage.”

Coins tossed into the fountain by tourists and pilgrims raise about €1.5 million each year for the Catholic charity Caritas, one of the world’s largest humanitarian networks.

The temporary pool was installed to ensure that visitors could still throw coins and make wishes, and the charity could still collect funding.

“The basin, which is of course temporary and was installed during the exceptional maintenance work on the fountain, is used to collect coins thrown by tourists,” Claudio Parisi Presicce, a superintendent for cultural heritage, told CNN.

“It is a well established and much-loved tradition.”

Mocked

Visitors, however, were much less bullish about the bizarre change, taking to the internet to complain about the changes.

“While the Trevi Fountain is closed for restoration, the municipality has thought of putting a basin like those where you rinse your feet before entering the pool, to be able to throw in lucky coins., Alessandro Gassman said on X.

“That touch of class that everyone was expecting.”

One Italian poster called the changes “architectural infantism”, accusing officials of using the Trevi Fountain as a “piggy bank”.

“Perhaps those seeking fortune should go and pray,” they said.

“That is to say make vows and a solemn promise at the temple of the goddess Fortuna and not try to bribe her with worthless coins?”

Another X user described it as: “The saddest thing I’ve seen in Italy in as long as I can remember.”

Bad reviews have flowed in for the landmark too, with one person complaining that the experience was ruined.

“Didn’t enjoy the place due to ongoing maintenance, not sure for how long,” they said.

“May visit again to enjoy what it’s famous for.”

The local government has installed a walkway around the landmark to allow people a closer view of the historic fountain, which was completed in 1762.

Rome has been tossing up charging tourists to visit the famous fountain in recent years. But others, taking to Reddit, said it was not unusual for the attraction not to be fully functional.

“I’ve visited Rome at least a dozen times throughout my life and I don’t think I’ve ever seen the fountain fully operational,” one Redditor said.

“It feels like to be under maintenance for at least a decade now.”