Luxury fashion house Fendi sponsors restoration of Rome's Trevi Fountain

Rome has unveiled the most drastic facelift for the Trevi Fountain in its 252-year history, the latest in a series of privately-funded restorations to Italy's prized landmarks.

The stone rendering of Tritons guiding the shell chariot of water god Oceanus will be cleaned and new pumps, artistic lighting and barriers to deter pigeons will be installed in the €2.2 million (HK$23.3 million) project over the next 16 months.

Water has already stopped flowing at the fountain site, which marks the end of an aqueduct said to have carried "Virgin Water" to thirsty ancient Romans, to allow the work.

The project is being sponsored by luxury fashion house Fendi, whose chief executive, Pietro Beccari, said the group was spurred to fund the project partly by its links with Rome.

"We can give back to the city something of what it has given us over the years in terms of inspiration, beauty, art and culture ... at a time when Italy needs positive gestures and people to do things and talk less," Beccari said.

The last major restoration was about 25 years ago, but new techniques make this the most thorough in the fountain's history.