Photos: Before and after coronavirus scare hit Rome's eternally packed tourist sites

Rome: For years, Rome seemed to have only a high season for tourism given the Italian capital's eternal appeal with foreign visitors.

Tourists crowded around the monumental Trevi Fountain from January through December, jostling for a glimpse of the must-see landmark in a throng several deep. Travelers who managed to get close enough tossed a coin into the water, an act that, according to local legend, guaranteed a return trip to the city.

The coronavirus outbreak that has made Italy second to China in confirmed cases has emptied landmarks of tourists _ and Romans.

Photographs taken before and after the emergence of infection clusters in northern Italy spooked the public, canceled flights to Italy and brought nationwide restrictions on people's movements and interactions show once-packed places like the Colosseum and the Roman Forum now devoid of visitors.

Where a past view showed a gaggle of tourists perched on the steps in the center of the Pantheon's piazza, the current image captures one or two people sitting far apart.

Now, you can look at the Castel Sant'Angelo in all its imposing majesty when crossing the bridge and not see a soul.