The entrance to the Pantheon, a monument symbol of ancient Rome and the most visited place in Italy, will be paid from now on, the Italian Ministry of Culture announced today.

This is a decision “based on common sense: to set a low-cost entry ticket for the most visited cultural site in Italy,” Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano said, according to a ministry statement. The exact date of entry into force of this measure is not specified.

The maximum ticket price, which is yet to be determined, will be 5 euro.

The announcement of the measure caused mixed feelings among tourists with whom AFP spoke in the forecourt of the Pantheon. “If it was paid, it’s very simple, we wouldn’t go in,” said Clara Dupont, a 21-year-old French woman.

Alessandra Mejasalma, a 46-year-old tour guide, characterized the decision “embarrassing”. “Historical monuments are collective goods and should remain open to all,” he said. “The ticket to such monuments creates exclusions,” adds Juliana Nowak, a 29-year-old Pole.

On the other hand, for Gustavo Rojas, a 37-year-old Chilean, “charging admission to a building like the Pantheon makes sense.” “For its maintenance, money is needed“, he emphasized.

Roger Garcia, a 32-year-old Spanish woman, agrees: “If the money is meant for conservation, for the people of the area who suffer from mass tourism, then why not.”

The income from the entrance to the monument, which is also a church, will be shared between the Ministry of Culture (70%) and the Metropolis of Rome (30%). The revenue will be allocated mainly for the maintenance and restoration of the building which is 2,000 years old, the minister claimed.

Entry will remain free for minors and accompanying school groups as well as residents of the Eternal City.

Admission to almost all of Rome’s churches is so far free, including St. Peter’s Basilica, located within the Vatican walls.

The Pantheon, built by order of Agrippa in the 1st century BC. it was damaged by several fires and completely rebuilt under Hadrian in the early 2nd century.

Originally, the Pantheon, boasting the largest dome of antiquity (43 meters in diameter), was a temple dedicated to all the ancient deities. It was converted into a church in the 7th century by Pope Boniface IV. It houses relics of Italian kings and the painter Raphael (1483-1520).