Climate activists pour charcoal into Rome's Trevi Fountain as part of protest against climate change.

On Sunday, climate protestors turned the Trevi Fountain’s clear water into a blackish hue by adding diluted charcoal in central Rome.

About 10 members of the climate group Ultima Generazione (Last Generation) entered the historic Trevi Fountain, unfurling a banner that read, 'We shouldn't fund fossil fuel campaigns while Emilia Romagna suffers,' referencing the deadly flooding in northern Italy, which some experts attribute to the climate crisis.

Other banners displayed the stark message: 'Our country is dying.'

All of the activists were detained and are facing charges of vandalism, according to Rome's police department.

Luisa Regimenti, the councilor responsible for personnel, urban security, local police, and local authorities in Lazio, which includes Rome, condemned the act. She described it as yet another 'demonstrative act of eco-vandals' targeting 'a universally recognized symbol of Rome.'

Regimenti called the act an 'irresponsible blitz,' emphasizing that staining the fountain was 'a serious act, a concerning escalation that must be halted with a security plan for the monuments and art in Rome and Lazio most at risk.'

Rome’s Mayor Roberto Gualtieri took to Twitter, saying: 'Enough of these senseless attacks on our artistic heritage. Today the Trevi Fountain was vandalized. Restoration will be costly and complex, and we hope there is no permanent damage. I urge activists to engage in dialogue, without endangering our monuments.'

He informed local media on site that the Trevi Fountain, which holds 300,000 liters (66,000 gallons) of water, would need to be drained and the polluted water discarded. 'This will require significant effort. It will take time, resources, and water,' he said.

This marks the third time activists have contaminated Rome’s iconic fountains with charcoal. Earlier this year, they targeted the Fountain of Four Rivers in Piazza Navona in May, and in April, they poured charcoal into the Barcaccia fountain near the Spanish Steps. The group has claimed responsibility for all three actions.

'Charcoal in the Trevi Fountain’s water,' they tweeted on Sunday. '1 in 4 homes in Italy are at risk of flooding. How much longer must we wait for the government to act?'

Several climate organizations have criticized the Italian government for its lack of preparation in the aftermath of the deadly floods in northern Italy, which claimed at least 14 lives and displaced over 36,000 people.

Legambiente, an Italian environmental group, stated in a press release last Thursday, 'The climate crisis is causing increasingly severe extreme weather events, threatening lives, and damaging both the environment and the economy. Once again, Italy has shown itself unprepared.'