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Rome’s Pantheon to start charging visitors for entry

The Pantheon, one of Rome's oldest and most iconic monuments, will soon start charging visitors for entry – a move which drew mixed reactions from tourists on Thursday.

The facade of Rome's Pantheon
Rome's Pantheon will soon start charging visitors for entry. Photo by Tiziana FABI / AFP

The ticket price has yet to be confirmed but “is not to not exceed five euros”, Italy’s culture ministry announced, while minors and Rome residents will be exempt.

The change was “based on common sense”, Italy’s Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano said, and the price will be “modest” for Italy’s most visited cultural site.

The Pantheon is currently free to enter – though you need to reserve a slot at busy times, and long queues are not unusual.

There was no indication of a timeframe for bringing in the entry fee.

The 2,000-year-old building is currently a consecrated church and part of the proceeds from ticket sales will go towards the diocese of Rome.

Most of the money – 70 percent – will go to the culture ministry, which will bear the costs of cleaning and maintenance.

READ ALSO: Why is Italy’s plan to charge for entry to the Pantheon so controversial?

Among the tourists visiting the Pantheon on Thursday, reaction to the news was mixed.

“It makes sense. Conservation requires money, and it doesn’t shock me to make tourists contribute,” said Gustavo Rojas, a 37-year-old from Chile.

Alessandra Mezzasalma, a 46-year-old Italian tour guide, however, told AFP it was “shameful”.

“The Pantheon, and historical monuments in general, are collective assets and they should remain open to everyone. Culture must be as inclusive as possible,” she said.

“If I had to pay, we wouldn’t have gone in,” said French tourist Clara Dupond, 21.

The other major churches in Rome, including St Peter’s Basilica, are free to visit, but museums and monuments such as the Colosseum are ticketed.

READ ALSO: ‘Americans can pay’: Italian minister says famous sites should hike entry fees

One of the best-preserved relics of ancient Rome, the Pantheon is famed for its extraordinary dome, which measures 43 metres (140 feet) in diameter and includes a circular opening through which light and occasionally rain fall.

It was built as a temple in the first century BC before being completely rebuilt under Emperor Hadrian at the start of the second century AD.

After falling into neglect, the building was given a new life after being consecrated as a church in the seventh century under Pope Boniface IV.

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TOURISM

How Airbnb is changing its rules on cameras from May 2024

Airbnb is tightening up its rules on security cameras inside properties listed on its website in a move intended to give guests more privacy.

How Airbnb is changing its rules on cameras from May 2024

People who advertise short-term lets on Airbnb will soon be required to remove all indoor cameras from their listings under a company-wide rule change designed to prioritise guests’ privacy, the company announced in a recent blogpost.

Until now, Airbnb has allowed security cameras in common spaces such as hallways and living rooms, “as long as they were disclosed on the listing page before booking, clearly visible and were not located in spaces like sleeping areas and bathrooms,” the company noted in its statement.

“The update to this policy simplifies our approach and makes clear that security cameras are not allowed inside listings, regardless of their location, purpose or prior disclosure.”

The rule change is set to come into effect on April 30th, to give hosts time to update their properties and listings in compliance with the new policy.

Hosts will still be able to use outdoor surveillance cameras in gardens and driveways, provided they disclose the presence and location of each one, and they do not face in to film inside the property. 

The change follows years of reports of guests finding secret cameras in their Airbnbs in various countries. In 2019, The Atlantic published an article titled ‘Airbnb Has a Hidden-Camera Problem’.

Last summer, a Texas couple brought a $75,000 lawsuit against an Airbnb host after they discovered multiple hidden cameras disguised as smoke detectors in the defendant’s bedroom and bathroom.

READ ALSO: How Italy is planning to limit Airbnb rentals

In the company’s blogpost, Airbnb spokesperson Juniper Downs said the changes were made “in consultation with our guests, Hosts and privacy experts,” and would “provide our community with greater clarity about what to expect”.

But while some of the site’s users may welcome the change, others have taken to the Airbnb’s Community Center to criticise the new policy, with some hosts saying having cameras in the common spaces of their shared homes offered them a measure of security.

Speaking with Canadian broadcaster CBC, former Ontario privacy commissioner Ann Cavoukian commented that the reform won’t do anything to prevent hosts who were breaking the company’s existing rules by installing hidden cameras from continuing to do so.

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