The Pantheon in Rome has made more than €865,000 (£745,000/$947,000) in ticket sales since the landmark launched a new ticketing system at the start of July.
According to a report from The Times, Italy’s culture minister Gennaro Sangiuliano revealed the figure on Saturday.
The site has welcomed almost 230,000 paying visitors since it introduced the €5 entry fee on July 3.
Some 50,000 visitors took advantage of free entry, while more than 20,000 people between the ages of 18 and 25 paid a discounted rate of €3. The site remains free to residents of Rome, visitors with disabilities and under-18s.
The Pantheon is also free to all on the first Sunday of each month as part of Italy’s Domenica al Museo initiative, but visitors must book online in advance.
Domenica al Museo means ‘Sunday at the Museum’ and sees almost 500 museums and attractions available to enter for free on these dates.
Since the addition of the entry fee for the Pantheon, ticket proceeds are divided between Italy’s culture minister (which takes 70%) and the diocese of Rome. The culture ministry covers the cost of cleaning and maintenance, while church authorities utilise the funds for charity and the upkeep of state-owned churches in Rome.
The Pantheon is a former Roman temple and since 609 AD has been a Catholic Church. It attracted around nine million visitors a year before the pandemic, and was Italy’s most visited heritage site.
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