It is said that those who toss a coin over their left shoulder into the Trevi Fountain will one day return to the Italian capital, and recent visitors to the 18th-century masterpiece are holding on to that thought.

As Rome undergoes a monumental facelift ahead of the 2025 Roman Catholic Holy Year, with 32 million tourists anticipated for the Jubilee, the Italian city’s infrastructure is under enormous strain.

The holy event, presided over by the Roman Catholic Church, occurs every 25 years.

While the Trevi Fountain has been drained for maintenance, tourists have been met with an ‘ugly’ makeshift pool made of plywood and surrounded by a plastic barrier.

Marianna Strekstad, who visited the Trevi Fountain on Friday, told Euronews: “I think it is a very sweet gesture that people can still do that," said, visiting from the Netherlands on Friday.

Not everyone was as impressed, with Daniela Carbone finding the substitute pool “ugly”. She still gave her kids coins to throw in anyway. “We have to please the children," she added.

Speaking with The Guardian, another visitor to the tourist hotspot touched on the coin toss, explaining, "It is much more of a challenge with the barrier there”.

“It is funny to look at, but I guess it gives you a unique experience,” Fausto Pastori said.

Rome City officials are devising a plan to manage the overwhelming number of tourists visiting the Trevi Fountain.

Visitors must book online and then pay a fee of €2 to get in. Once inside, they will have 30 minutes to enjoy the fountain.