The Trevi Fountain in Rome, a work that attracts crowds
In Rome, it is impossible to walk down many streets without coming across masterpieces of architecture and art. Nestled at the back of the Poli Palace, at the intersection of 3 small streets, the Trevi Fountain is an excellent example.
Read in this article the main information about this fountain as well as our feedback and photos.
The history of the Trevi Fountain
The Trevi Fountain, called Fontana di Trevi in Italian, was built at the request of Pope Clement XII. He wanted to highlight the aqueduct of the Aqua Virgo which ends there, by building a larger and more majestic fountain than the one in place at the time.
The construction of the Trevi Fountain took 30 years (1732-1762). The work was initiated and designed by the architect Nicola Salvi who died before it was finished.
Built in marble and travertine, the Trevi Fountain is extremely well preserved. Some work has been undertaken, however. In 1998, the water supply system was modernized. More recently, in 2014-2015, it had to be renovated following acts of vandalism. The city of Rome took the opportunity to add lights that now sublimate the work every night.
A legend associated with the Trevi Fountain
Who doesn’t know the custom of throwing a coin in the fountains? If you did not know it yet, it comes from the Trevi Fountain.
According to the legend, leaving one or more coins in the fountain would grant certain wishes. More exactly, depending on the number of coins left, you could:
- Return to Rome one day – with 1 coin
- Find love in Rome – with 2 coins
- Get married within a year – with 3 coins
But be careful, if you want your wishes to come true, you have to respect the codes of this custom. So, take your coin in your right hand, turn your back to the fountain and throw the change over your left shoulder. And if you are not superstitious, you can just admire the fountain, of course.
The question you may ask yourself now (at least I did) is how much money the Trevi Fountain brings to the city of Rome. The answer is impressive: around one million euros per year! With the millions of visitors who come to Rome, that’s a lot of money.
The money is collected every week. It has been forbidden for several years to collect coins from the fountain. Now, the collected money goes to charity.
Where is the Trevi Fountain in Rome?
The fountain is in a square of the same name: Piazza di Trevi.
It is 0.4 miles from the Pantheon and 0.6 miles from the Roman Forum.
To get there, you can take public transportation:
- Metro: served by line A, the Barberini stop is 0.4 miles from the fountain.
- Bus: many bus lines stop within 0.2 miles of the Trevi Fountain (Tritone/Fontana di Trevi, Traforo/Tritone, L.Go Chigi and Corso stops)
Do I have to pay to see the Trevi Fountain?
No. The Trevi Fountain is one of the many things (fountains, squares, columns, sculptures…) that you can see for free in Rome while walking around the city.
But, you have to pay to see the undergrounds.
Check out the current price on GetyourGuide.
What did we think of the Trevi Fountain?
The Trevi Fountain was one of our visits (fountains, churches, squares…) planned on our third day in Rome. We easily reached it by Via di S. Vincenzo, coming from the Pantheon.
We arrived directly in front of the fountain. This one is magnificent. Its size, almost as wide as high (66 feet X 85 feet), is really impressive.
Conceived in the baroque style, the fountain takes the shape of a temple entrance and owns in its center the sea god Neptune, installed on a chariot. Two statues are located on either side of Neptune, which are allegories of Prosperity (left) and Health (right). On top, 4 other sculptures stand out and symbolize the four seasons. The sculpture is very elaborate, and you could spend a considerable amount of time observing all the details and looking for their meaning.
However, we did not want to stay there very long simply because of the crowd that gathers around the fountain. Indeed, you will not be the only one to want to discover it. It is one of the most touristic places in Rome… But the square around the fountain is quite small, and the fact that many people want to take a selfie or a video in front of the fountain does not help.
We looked at the fountain from above for a few minutes, then managed to sneak down some of the steps that lead to the bottom of the fountain. Of course, you can get there if you have the patience to wait for the space to open.
Here are some of our photos of the Trevi Fountain:
We did not go back there at night, but the pictures found on the Internet show that it is beautifully lit up. There is also another positive point to go there at this time of the day: there are fewer people…
AmélieI love travels, photos and food. Through this blog, I like to share my experiences and travel tips.
