Rome's Trevi Fountain Is Crumbling

The almost 300-year-old Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy is crumbling.

Fragments of the famous Roman attraction have been breaking off, causing concern and showing that the popular tourist site may be in need of an update.

On Monday, police barricaded the fountain while restoration experts surveyed the damage. Over the weekend, a few stone laurel leaves fell from the top frieze of the fountain. Some chunks of plaster and stucco measuring up to 3 inches wide came crashing down from the structure. Additional pieces that seem in danger of falling have been removed to protect tourists from danger or injury.

Umberto Broccoli, Rome's cultural superintendent, told the The Telegraph, "We intervened on Saturday evening, as soon as we knew about the damage."

Reuters reported that the damage was "not worrying," but it may be time for some restoration. The fountain was last restored in 1990, more than 20 years ago.

Dino Gasperini, Rome city counselor for culture, said that the monument requires a full-scale restoration and he was asking for funds to protect that fountain from any further damage.

Experts believe that the recent damage is due to heavy snow that fell over the unusually cold winter in Rome. Ice may have accentuated cracks and fractures that were part of the structure, making it weaker. More recent rainy periods may have also aided in the damage.

Loads of tourists include the Trevi Fountain as one of their must see sights while in the eternal city of Rome. It was made famous by the 1960 Federico Fellini film La Dolce Vita. Roman tradition says that visitors who throw coins over the shoulder into the fountain, are guaranteed to return

The Trevi Fountain, completed in 1762, isn't the only historic Roman monument to suffer damage recently. Stone and plaster has also reportedly fallen from the Colosseum. The gladiator amphitheater is now undergoing a more than $30 million restoration.