Italian squares empty under lockdown captured by webcams

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced on March 9, 2020, a nationwide lockdown to contain the Covid-19 pandemic, which had already surpassed 10,000 cases in Italy. Rome mayor Virginia Raggi stated the city was beginning to respond seriously to the decree. The capital appeared semi-empty and silent, with only the sound of fountains audible. Public gathering places, including St. Peter's Square, St. Peter's Basilica, and the Trevi Fountain, were closed to prevent crowds. The Trevi Fountain, famous for its beauty and the film *La Dolce Vita* by Federico Fellini featuring Anita Ekberg and Marcello Mastroianni, was off-limits. The mayor described the city as devastated but supported the prime minister's decision. The website Skylinewebcams, active since 2014, provides live webcam feeds of major Italian and European squares, now showing unprecedented empty and metaphysical scenes. Viewers can watch day and night views of the Trevi Fountain, Piazza della Signoria in Florence, and St. Mark's Square in Venice, described as chilling, beautiful, and sad.