Press
A machine is temporarily installed at the Trevi Fountain in Rome. You can use your credit card to throw a coin into the fountain. It sparks a heated debate.
Rome – The Trevi Fountain on the Piazza di Trevi in Rome is one of the most famous fountains in the world. Numerous statues line the impressive monument in Italy’s capital. Traditionally, holidaymakers throw coins into the water. A machine in front of the fountain where such coins can be bought has recently caused discontent.
“Age of imbeciles”: Machine at the Trevi Fountain causes heated debate
The machine is said to have been installed in front of the fountain for one day as part of a promotional campaign, reported the Italian newspaper Roma TodayPictures and videos show holidaymakers holding their credit card to the machine, which in turn throws a coin into the fountain. This is a publicity stunt by the Korean company Travel Wallet, which handles digital transactions.
The images quickly went viral on social media. Locals and tourists were outraged by the white box in front of the fountain. “An age of idiots,” complained one user on X (formerly Twitter). “No, that can’t be true!” said another. A woman also caused a stir with a strange action at the Trevi Fountain.
Advertising stunt at the Trevi Fountain in Rome causes displeasure: “Such an embarrassing thing”
Others are aware that the machine is a publicity stunt. Nevertheless, they have no understanding for the action. “I wonder how the authorities and the city administration of Rome could approve something so embarrassing and disgusting,” rages another user. Still others do not see the installation as all that dramatic: “If the money is used to preserve the monument, why not?”
The president of Rome’s first district also admitted that the whole thing was just a joke. The machine was only installed for a few hours for advertising purposes, Lorenza Bonaccorsi was told by Roma Today quoted. “Anyone who passes by the Trevi Fountain can instead see the truth for themselves: the machine is not there.” However, the action took place on January 25th. Why the video is making the rounds now is unclear.
Locals and tourists can now safely throw a coin over their shoulder into the fountain. The machine no longer blocks the view of the landmark. Once a week, the city cleans the fountain and collects the countless coins. A large part of the proceeds are donated to charity. Last year, the Trevi Fountain became the scene of a “Last Generation” campaign. (cheese)
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