Trevi Fountain (Rome)

Trevi Fountain

Irresistible beauty and melodic sound of myriads of Roman fountains inspired great Italian composer Ottorino Respighi to compose symphonic poem “Fountains of Rome.” One of the most famous and outstanding fountains of the Eternal city is considered to be the Trevi Fountain – the voice worthy of the great city.

The Trevi Fountain is a massive composition – 20 meters (65 feet) wide and 26 meters (85 feet) high – and occupies almost the entire square, which is evidently small for such giant.

This luxurious Baroque fountain was designed by a famous Italian architect Nicola Salvi on Pope Clement ХII’s order. The building of the fountain began in 1732 and finished in 1762. The Trevi Fountain is supplied with the purest water from springs located 13 kilometers (8 miles) away from the city. The water is brought by Acqua Vergine (Acqua meaning “water” and Vergine meaning “girl”) aqueduct that was built back in 1st century B.C.

The Trevi Fountain is the biggest in Rome. It is erected before magnificent Palazzo Poli. The splendid façade of the palace and the luxurious fountain create a scene that strikes by its beauty. The gorgeous palace being the fountain’s background makes it look even more graceful.

The Trevi Fountain is fully dedicated to the sea. Mythical God Oceanus (some think it is Neptune) standing on a huge sea shell chariot rules over water cascades. The central niche of the palace behind God Oceanus’ back creates an impression that he drove out of it on his luxurious transport drawn by hippocampi and tritons.

Purling streams of water elegantly flow down other figures and then loudly fall down hitting the rocks and, thus, creating the charming sound of waves crashing on a sea shore. On God Oceanus’ sides allegoric figures occupy niches, while above him there are bas reliefs. On one of the bas relief a girl is pointing out to Roman soldiers at a spring, which is the origin of the aqueduct supplying water for “its majesty fountain.”

Myriads of tourists daily stream to the square to feast their eyes upon the Trevi Fountain and to throw a coin into it. During weekly cleaning of the fountain from its bottom a sum is collected reaching up to 11,000 US dollars. The collected sum goes to a charity fund.

Our irreplaceable guide and historian, a member of the Scottish Royal Historical Society and an honorable member of the Royal Club of lovers and connoisseurs of whisky Ilya Kuznetsov organized for us a tour around Italy, and in the April of last year I chanced to visit the famous fountain. I was amazed at the loveliness and energizing atmosphere of the Trevi Fountain. Around the fountain there are always many couples in love and young people in love not only with each other but also with Rome. Many of them threw coins hoping to return to the Eternal City; some threw two coins … There is a legend that a person who throws a coin into the fountain will return to Rome; whoever throws two coins will have a romance with a girl or a boy from Rome; and those who throw three coins will surely find their other “halves.” That’s what a legend holds.