- Title: Vatican turns off fountains as Rome endures drought
- Date: 24th July 2017
- Summary: VATICAN (JULY 24, 2017) (REUTERS) TOURISTS IN ST. PETER'S SQUARE VARIOUS OF TOURISTS NEAR INACTIVE FOUNTAIN VARIOUS OF SEAGULLS ON INACTIVE FOUNTAIN (SOUNDBITE) (English) VATICAN SPOKESMAN, GREG BURKE, SAYING: "As far as we know at least in our memory, this is the first time we've had to shut the fountains down. As you may know in Rome, Rome has been blessed with lots of water and so this is an exception. As far as we know this is the first time in the Vatican this has happened." TOURISTS IN ST. PETER'S SQUARE TOURISTS BY ANOTHER INACTIVE FOUNTAIN TOURISTS WALKING AND TAKING PHOTOS IN ST. PETER'S SQUARE SEAGULLS ON INACTIVE FOUNTAIN (SOUNDBITE) (English) VATICAN SPOKESMAN, GREG BURKE, SAYING: "This is the Vatican's way of living solidarity with Rome, trying to help Rome get through this crisis. Essentially the water that comes into the Vatican comes from the same place as where the water comes and goes to Rome and this is our way of trying to help out the city." TOURISTS IN ST. PETER'S SQUARE SEAGULLS ON INACTIVE FOUNTAIN CROSS ON OBELISK IN ST. PETER'S SQUARE SEAGULLS ON INACTIVE FOUNTAIN (SOUNDBITE) (English) VATICAN SPOKESMAN, GREG BURKE, SAYING: "This decision is very much in line with the pope's thinking on ecology, you can't waste and sometimes you have to be willing to make a sacrifice. We have very beautiful gardens in the Vatican, they might not be as green this year but we'll survive." ROME, ITALY (JULY 24, 2017) (REUTERS) TIBER RIVER WITH CASTEL SANT'ANGELO IN BACKGROUND VARIOUS OF BIRDS IN WATER IN TIBER RIVER WITH WATER LEVEL LOW CASTEL SANT'ANGELO PEOPLE WALKING ALONG EMBANKMENT BY TIBER RIVER BIRD BY RIVER PEOPLE AND STATUE ON BRIDGE ABOVE TIBER RIVER WATER AND PLANTS IN TIBER RIVER LIGHTS REFLECTED IN WATER WATER IN RIVER TIBER RIVER WITH CASTEL SANT'ANGELO IN BACKGROUND
- Embargoed: 7th August 2017 21:10
- Keywords: Vatican fountains shut down Rome water crisis Italy drought Vatican spokesman Greg Burke Pope Francis
- Location: VATICAN AND ROME, ITALY
- City: VATICAN AND ROME, ITALY
- Country: Vatican City
- Topics: Environment
- Reuters ID: LVA0016R2VEBR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:One hundred fountains including two Baroque masterpieces in St. Peter's Square began to be turned off on Monday (July 24) as the Vatican felt the heat from a prolonged drought in surrounding Rome.
Suffocating summer heat has followed two years of lower-than-average rainfall in the Italian capital, forcing the city to close drinking fountains and face the prospect of water rationing.
It was the first time authorities at the spiritual home of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics could remember being forced to turn off the fountains, Vatican spokesman Greg Burke said.
Standing by St. Peter's square, where two fountains by 17th-century sculptors Carlo Maderno and Gian Lorenzo Bernini are standing dry, Burke said the Vatican wanted to help. All 100 Vatican fountains will be turned off gradually in the coming days.
Rome is gasping after 72 percent less rain than normal fell in July, according to Sky Italia's weather TV channel. There was 74 percent less than normal in June, and a 56 percent reduction from the long-term average across March, April and May.
Caring for the planet and its resources is an important issue for Pope Francis, who demanded swift action by world leaders in the first ever papal document dedicated to the environment. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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