Trevi Fountain – Rome’s most Famous Fountain
A visitor can’t come to Rome without visiting this masterpiece created in the middle of Rome: the Fontana di Trevi.
It’s by far the largest standing and impressive Baroque fountains of Rome. It’s huge: 25.9 meters (85 feet) high and 19.8 meters (65 feet) wide. Rome has an impressive numbero of fountains spread all over the city, more than 3,000, but there is no place on earth like Trevi Fountain.
The fountain is at the juncture of three roads (tre vie). It marks the terminal point of the “modern” Acqua Vergine. One of the ancient aqueducts that supplied water to ancient Rome, stretched 22 km (14 miles) away from the city. This aqueduct (Aqua Virgo)also fed water into the Baths of Agrippa. It served Rome for more than four hundred years.
Many changes were made as the centuries passed. In 1629 Pope Urban VIII asked Bernini to give the fountain a new definite, monumental form since he thought the earlier fountain was losing its beauty.
The project was put apart and forgotten when the Pope died! But it was then again taken over and adopted by Nicola Salvi! Finally in 1732 activities started and the fountain was finished by 1762. Even though Bernini’s project was rejected you can easily recognize many Bernini touches in the overall fountain design.
The legend says that visitors throwing a coin into the fountain will return to Rome once more in their life. Coins were thrown by three different individuals even though the current version says that two coins will bring a new romance and three will bring you will marry or divorce shortly after!
How your love could be governed by the tossing of three coins into a fountain is still a mystery many people believes in. This act has to be done with the right hand over one’s left shoulder and is said to bring good luck.
Each day approximately three thousands euros are believed to be thrown into the fountain and collected at night. The money has been used to help poor people and homeless in Rome. Nevertheless regular attempts to steal coins from the fountain are witnessed very frequently, including some using a magnetized pole. In 1998 the fountain has been refurbished and provided with re-circulating pumps.
Many people wonder what is the building behind Trevi Fountain. It’s called Palazzo dei Duchi di Polis. In the center is a modeled replica of the triumphal arch. The center niche has free-standing columns for maximal light-and-shade.
On the outside Oceanus, water comes out from her urn and Salubrity holds a cup from which a snake drinks out from. On the top is a copy of the Roman origin of the aqueducts. The tritons and horses provide symmetrical balance, with the maximum contrast with their facial expressions and poses.
The theme of the gigantic scheme that jumps forward it’s called “Taming of the waters”. The mixing of water and rockwork is simply amazing.
Trevi area is by far one of the most charming neighbourhood in Rome.
Thanks for visiting our Qivana site.
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