The Vatican began turning off its fountains due to an ongoing drought in Italy, the BBC reported Tuesday.

This spring has been Italy's third-driest in 60 years, and the lack of rainfall has cost the Italian agriculture sector nearly 2.3 billion dollars.

The Vatican has approximately 100 fountains, some of which are considered artistic masterpieces, and Vatican spokesman Greg Burke told the Reuters news agency that the move was the Vatican's way of standing side by side with the city of Rome during the crisis.

"As far as we know, at least in our memory, this is the first time we've had to shut the fountains down," he said.

A woman looks at an empty fountain in St Peter's Square, in Vatican city, after the Vatican authorities decision to turn off some of the 100 fountains due to a drought affecting Rome, on July 25, 2017. Andreas Solaro / AFP/Getty Images

"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," he continued.

A report on Vatican Radio said the decision was consistent with Pope Francis' teachings on the environment: The Pope has denounced waste and emphasized the importance of access to clean drinking water.

"This decision is very much in line with the pope's thinking on ecology," Burke said. "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."</s>The Vatican has started shutting off its fountains amid a prolonged drought in many parts of Italy.

The drought hit two-thirds of farmland and cost Italian agriculture $2.3 billion. There were about 100 fountains in the Vatican, including two Baroque masterpieces, and all will be switched off, BBC reported on Tuesday.

Vatican Radio said the move was in line with Pope Francis' teachings on the environment. The Pope laid out his ecological fears in a 2015 encyclical, which denounced wasteful practices and highlighted the importance of clean drinking water.

The drought had affected many other areas of Italy. A state of emergency was earlier declared in two northern provinces. In southern Italy, hundreds of people were evacuated this month as firefighters battled wildfires.</s>Vatican Shuts Down Fountains as Rome Deals With Drought

A boy rinses his hands July 25 in a fountain in St. Peter’s Square. While the Vatican began shutting off water to most of its fountains in response to a drought in Rome, it left one running to provide cooling relief for tourists.

While Rome reels from one of its worst droughts in decades, the Vatican is doing its part to conserve water by shutting down the city-state’s 100 fountains.

The office governing Vatican City State announced July 25 that the drought has “led the Holy See to take measures aimed at saving water” by shutting down fountains in St. Peter’s Square, throughout the Vatican Gardens and in the territory of the state.

“The decision is in line with the teachings of Pope Francis, who reminds us in his encyclical ‘Laudato Si” how ‘the habit of wasting and discarding’ has reached ‘unprecedented levels’ while ‘fresh drinking water is an issue of primary importance, since it is indispensable for human life and for supporting terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems,’” the office said.

The prolonged drought has forced officials from the Lazio region of Italy to halt pumping water from Lake Bracciano, located roughly 19 miles north of Rome. Less than usual rainfalls in the past two years have steadily depleted the lake, which provides 8 percent of the city’s water supply.

In an interview with Italian news outlet Tgcom24, Nicola Zingaretti, the region’s president, said the lake’s water level has “fallen too much and we risk an environmental disaster.”

While the drought already forced Rome city officials to shut down some of Rome’s public drinking fountains in June, it may lead to strict water rationing for the city’s estimated 1.5 million residents.

City officials may also take the Vatican’s lead and shut down water pouring down from Rome’s many ancient fountains.

Pilgrims and visitors alike have marveled at the majestic fountains of St. Peter’s Square that have cascaded water for centuries since their construction in the 17th century.

While the source of water was once provided from an ancient Roman aqueduct, the two fountains, as well as 10 percent of Vatican City State’s 100 fountains “recirculate water currently,” Greg Burke, Vatican spokesman, told Catholic News Service in a July 25 email.

Others, he added, “will eventually be transformed in order to recirculate” the same water rather than let it be wasted by running into the drainage or sewer system.

Burke told CNS that the Vatican’s move to switch off the fountains located within its territory is “a way to show a good example” in conserving water as the city deals with the crisis.

“We’re not going to be able to solve Rome’s water problem this summer, but we can do our part,” Burke said. “This is the Vatican putting ‘Laudato Si'” into action. Let’s not waste water.”</s>VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican says it is shutting off all its fountains, including those in St. Peter’s Square, because of Italy’s drought.

Vatican Radio on Monday said the decision is linked with Pope Francis’ teachings on the environment. The pope has decried wasteful practices and praised clean drinking water as vital for both people and the environment.

Meteorologists say spring 2017 was Italy’s third-driest in some 60 years. The drought has put Rome at risk for drastic water rationing, a measure being considered later this week by authorities.

Vatican Radio said all of Vatican City’s fountains will go dry, including those in its gardens, to help save water.

Francis laid out his fears for the future of the world’s environment in a 2015 encyclical, a formal teaching document.</s>Vatican City, July 25 - The Vatican has turned off its fountains, including those in St Peter's Square, due to the drought-induced shortage that means Rome risks facing water rationing. "The Governorate of Vatican City State has decided to turn off all the fountains, both the external ones located in St. Peter's Square, and the interior fountains including those in the Vatican Gardens," Vatican Radio said. "The move is in line with the teachings of Pope Francis in his Encyclical on creation Laudate Si".</s>ITALY (CNN) — The Vatican has decided to turn off its famous fountains for the first time in living memory as hot dry weather triggers severe water shortages across Italy.

“The drought that is affecting the city of Rome and the surrounding areas of the capital has led the Holy See to take measures to save water,” the Vatican said on its website.

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“The Governorate of Vatican City State has decided to turn off all the fountains, both the external ones located in St. Peter’s Square, and the interior fountains including those in the Vatican Gardens.”

The Vatican has around 100 decorative and drinking fountains, including two 500-year-old marble masterpieces in St. Peter’s Square.

It’s decision follows that of the separate Rome authorities, who have also begun to turn off some of the 2,500 drinking fountains that give the eternal city its character, as well as quenching people’s thirsts in the hot summer months, a spokesman for Acea, the utility firm which runs Rome’s water system, told CNN.

It will however keep a minimum of 85 fountains open and will decide on how many fountains to close day by day based on the weather and severity of drought, the spokesman said.

Officials from Acea in the Lazio region, which contains Rome, are meeting the environment ministry today to discuss the possibility of rationing the water supply to about half of the city’s 3 million residents, Italian newspapers reported.

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The Lazio region is to put a stop on water being drawn from Lake Bracciano, about 20 miles from Rome, an important supplier of water to the city, because of a risk to aquatic life as it dries up, Lazio said on its website.

But while the water crisis in Rome and its surroundings has grabbed most of the headlines, the rest of Italy is also suffering from the effects of one of the hottest and driest springs in decades followed by searing summer heat and storms.

According to the Italian farmers’ lobby group Coldiretti, two-thirds of the country’s farmland has been affected by the harsh weather.

“Violent thunderstorms and hailstones on farmland exhausted by drought in a crazy summer marked by extreme (weather) events has driven up the financial losses in the countryside to more that 2 billion euros ($2.3 billion)” Coldiretti said in a statement Tuesday.

Coldiretti said forest fires have also taken their toll on the environment and economy in rural Italy.

Meanwhile, in neighboring France, wildfires across the south of the country and the island of Corsica have burned thousands of acres of woodland.

A spokesman for the Var told CNN that hundreds have firefighters have tackled more than 60 fires since yesterday in his region alone. He said the wildfires, while not unusual for the season, were being made worse this year because of drought. Reuters images show residents of the Cote d’Azur resort of Saint Tropez fleeing their villas as flames lapped around.</s>VATICAN CITY (CBSMiami) — In Italy the lack of rain has caused a serious drought across the country. Now the Vatican is leading efforts to preserve water.

When you think of Rome, you almost always think of beautiful fountains. On Tuesday, some of them ran dry. That’s because the Vatican turned off the tap on over 100 its historical water features.

“As far as we know this is the first time in the Vatican this has happened,” said Vatican Spokesperson Greg Burke.

A severe drought across Italy has made preserving water a top priority this summer.

“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,” said Burke.

Rome’s ancient water systems have served drinking and ornamental fountains for thousands of years. They remain a huge draw for tourists from around the world. They may also be turned off this week when the local authorities meet to decide on what to do.

Italy’s drought threatens 50% of its farmland and has already resulted in over $2 billion in agriculture costs, with dairy, wine and olive production among the worst hit.</s>All 100 Vatican City fountains, including two Baroque masterpieces in St Peter's Square, will be shut off in the coming days as a drought sweeps Rome and other parts of Italy."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," he told Reuters."This is the Vatican's way of living [in] solidarity with Rome, trying to help Rome get through this crisis," Burke added.While the decision is likely to upset summer tourists who look forward to viewing the Vatican's famed fountains, water conservation is being widely encouraged as Rome's authorities consider the introduction of strict water rations.Rome's water reserves have dwindled greatly with the capital experiencing an average of 73 percent less rainfall across June and July. Italy also experienced its third driest spring in 60 years this year.A ban on withdrawing water from Lake Bracciano has already been agreed and will kick in on July 28."I would like to invite Donald Trump here to let him see what it means not to respect climate accords," he added, referring to the US president's decision to pull his country out of the 2015 Paris Accord.The Vatican's decision to shut off their fountains is just the latest show of support from the state and Pope Francis on environmental issues.In 2016, at the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, Pope Francis described climate change as a sin and said it was the result of a "selfish" system driven by "profit at any price.""The world's poor, though least responsible for climate change, are most vulnerable and already suffering its impact," he said.</s>(CNN) — The Vatican has decided to turn off its famous fountains for the first time in living memory as hot dry weather triggers severe water shortages across Italy.

“The drought that is affecting the city of Rome and the surrounding areas of the capital has led the Holy See to take measures to save water,” the Vatican said on its website.

“The Governorate of Vatican City State has decided to turn off all the fountains, both the external ones located in St. Peter’s Square, and the interior fountains including those in the Vatican Gardens.”

The Vatican has around 100 decorative and drinking fountains, including two 500-year-old marble masterpieces in St. Peter’s Square.

It’s decision follows that of the separate Rome authorities, who have also begun to turn off some of the 2,500 drinking fountains that give the eternal city its character, as well as quenching people’s thirsts in the hot summer months, a spokesman for Acea, the utility firm which runs Rome’s water system, told CNN.

It will however keep a minimum of 85 fountains open and will decide on how many fountains to close day by day based on the weather and severity of drought, the spokesman said.

Officials from Acea in the Lazio region, which contains Rome, are meeting the environment ministry today to discuss the possibility of rationing the water supply to about half of the city’s 3 million residents, Italian newspapers reported.

The Lazio region is to put a stop on water being drawn from Lake Bracciano, about 20 miles from Rome, an important supplier of water to the city, because of a risk to aquatic life as it dries up, Lazio said on its website.

But while the water crisis in Rome and its surroundings has grabbed most of the headlines, the rest of Italy is also suffering from the effects of one of the hottest and driest springs in decades followed by searing summer heat and storms.

According to the Italian farmers’ lobby group Coldiretti, two-thirds of the country’s farmland has been affected by the harsh weather.

“Violent thunderstorms and hailstones on farmland exhausted by drought in a crazy summer marked by extreme (weather) events has driven up the financial losses in the countryside to more that 2 billion euros ($2.3 billion)” Coldiretti said in a statement Tuesday.

On Monday the group called for investment in infrastructure to collect and distribute the country’s water supplies more efficiently and prepare for extreme weather events caused by climate change.</s>The Vatican has turned off all fountains, including two Baroque masterpieces in St. Peter's Square and interior fountains in the Vatican Gardens , to save water due to a prolonged drought that has been affecting almost two-thirds of Italy's farmland as well as its capital, Rome.

The water-saving move is "in line with the teachings of Pope Francis," according to a statement on the Vatican website. Around 100 fountains in total have been switched off, according to Reuters . It is the first time Vatican authorities can remember being forced to turn off the fountains, a spokesperson for the Vatican told the news agency.

"This is the Vatican's way of living solidarity with Rome, trying to help Rome get through this crisis," Greg Burke told Reuters TV. "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."

Rome has received 72% less rain than normal this month, and received 74% less than normal in June. The water shortages have cost Italian agriculture some €2bn ($2.3bn) and a state of emergency has been declared in two northern Italian provinces, the BBC reports. The capital is currently facing water rationing after a halt was ordered on pumping water from nearby Lake Bracciano.
Pope Francis halts the fountains of The Vatican amidst a drought in Italy.