Church and state in Rome agree to Pantheon entrance fee

Tourists in Rome checking out the Pantheon, Italy’s most-visited cultural site, will soon be charged a €5 ($9) entrance fee under an agreement signed Thursday by Italian culture and church officials.

Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano said the move was a matter of “good sense”. The introduction of an entrance fee comes five years after a previous government shelved plans to start charging visitors €2.

Proceeds will be split, with the culture ministry receiving 70 per cent and the Rome diocese 30 per cent, officials said.

The monumental domed structure, originally an ancient Roman temple, last year attracted 60,803 visitors, topping the Colosseum’s 38,360.

The Pantheon was transformed into a church in 609, called the Basilica of St. Mary and the Martyrs, and Mass is regularly celebrated there.

Under the new plan, visitors under 25 will be charged €2. Entrance will be free to Rome residents, minors, people attending Mass and personnel of the basilica, among others.

No date was given for the introduction of the fee, as officials work out technical details. Currently, entry is free and reservations are required on weekends and public holidays.

The Pantheon is used as a Catholic church, so visitors are asked to be respectful while visiting. Masses take place on Sundays and holy days such as Christmas and Easter.

Keeping an old structure standing is not a cheap exercise, however, In 2016, a three-year restoration project was completed on the dome of the Pantheon, which cost millions of dollars.

Some religious sites in Rome, like St Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, are free but can involve queues of up to two hours while others, like the Sistine Chapel, cost $30 to enter.