Fontana di Trevi
Rome
The Trevi Fountain is the largest and most theatrical Baroque fountain in Rome. Tucked into a small square, it takes you by surprise with its mass of travertine and marble, dominated by a sea god on a shell-shaped chariot. Tradition says that tossing a coin into the basin guarantees your return to the Eternal City.
The story of the fountain
The Trevi Fountain marks the end point of an ancient aqueduct that Agrippa had built in 19 BC to supply his baths. The name "Trevi" probably comes from the Latin trivium, the meeting point of three streets. The present fountain grew out of a competition called by Pope Clement XII: work began in 1732 and, after the death of its designer, was carried on by Giuseppe Pannini. The great central group was carved by Pietro Bracci between 1759 and 1762, the year the fountain was inaugurated under Pope Clement XIII.
Architecture and sculpture
The fountain leans against the façade of a noble palace and rises almost 26 metres high and 49 wide. At the centre, in a great niche that recalls a triumphal arch, stands the statue of the god of the waters on his shell-shaped chariot. The side niches hold the statues of Health and Abundance, topped by two bas-reliefs that tell the birth of the aqueduct. The whole ensemble is carved from the white travertine of Tivoli, and strikingly lifelike carved plants sprout from the rocks: reeds, a fig tree, a vine heavy with grapes, even an artichoke.
The coin tradition
Custom has it that you toss a coin into the basin with your back to the fountain: the gesture ensures you will come back to Rome. The fountain has starred in many films, above all Federico Fellini's "La Dolce Vita", with its legendary night scene in the water. Every year the coins collected add up to large sums.
Visiting the Trevi Fountain
The fountain is in the Trevi district, a short walk from the Pantheon and Piazza di Spagna. It is spectacular in the evening, when the lighting brings out the play of the water and the whiteness of the sculptures. The square is often crowded, so the early morning offers the calmest moment to admire it and complete this stage of the treasure map.
