FONTANA DI TREVI

Rome is the richest city in the world for water and fountains.

Since the antiquity 11 aqueducts ensured the city thousands and thousands of litres of water a day, which went to feed the many fountains and the greatest baths. And yet today, while admire these masterpieces, it refreshes the excellent drinking water flowing from the typical fountains nicely calls "nasoni" because of the unusual shape of the curved pipe.

 

The Trevi Fountain is the most famous and spectacular fountain in Rome. It was famously graced by Federico Fellini’s masterpiece “La Dolce Vita” immortalizing the Anita Ekberg’s dip in it.

From Via Veneto you can reach the Trevi Fountain going down Via del Tritone and turning left Via della Stamperia. The fountain rises at the end of the aqueduct built by a general of August, Agrippa, during the 19 b.C., in order to first bring water from the sources of Salone, 19 kilometres far from Rome, to the city. The aqueduct has worked up to today, providing water to the baths and the monumental fountains of the centre.

 

The fountain symbolizes the legend of how water was brought to Rome when Agrippa decided to build a canal. The canal was called "Acqua Vergine" meaning virgin water, because as the legend goes, a young virgin led Agrippa's thirsty soldiers, looking for water in the country to this source of pure water. (This scene is presented on the present fountain's facade).

The word Trevi comes from the Latin trivium "three-way junction" and refers to three roads that converged in the frontal square.  

 

The fountain was designed by Nicola Salvi between 1732 and 1762 who used a wall of PalazzoPoli as a backdrop. The legend tells that the artist was disturbed during his work by the continuous criticism expressed by a barber who had his shop in the square. To shut him up, during one night Salvi created the large basin, familiary calied the "Ace of Cups", situated on the right-hand balustrade, which completely blocked the view of the fountain from the shop.
The result of his skilled work is a masterpiece that gives to the fountain theatrical appearance and increases the visitors’ sensation of marvel.

Tourists can sit and admire the spectacle and everyone knows that, if they want to return to Rome they have to throw a coin into the basin carefully tossing it with the shoulders back to the fountain… we hope the dream will come true.