Tossing coins into Fontana di Trevi

When in Rome there are a number of things that are just 'must do' sights to see and the Fontana di Trevi or the Trevi Fountain is just one of them.

So there we were in the Eternal City after a couple years of planning. Luckily we were smart enough to have RomeCabs pick us up at the airport and deliver us, with an orientation tour of the city to get our bearings on the way to the Hotel Alpi, where we were staying while in Rome. You will not find any other place in the world that celebrates architecture and the essence of water with it's ever changing form and power like Rome. Ok, they tend to celebrate a lot of things in Rome, but fountains and water, is at or near the top of the list. 
The Trevi Fountain is a spectacular work of art that is much more than a mere fountain. This example of Baroque art with its soft lines and fantasy creatures is an amazing sight. The fountain is a true wonder, a jewel of water and stone that is nestled between the palaces of the historic centre of the city and it is one of the biggest fountains in Rome.

Being lost tourists with a not to scale tourist map we discovered finding things is not as easy as it should be, but not all that hard either. Luckily as you approach the fountain you can hear its presence from the nearby streets. Once you get to the fountain you need to spend some time just hanging out, looking and listening and just trying to take it all in. Better yet you should get some pre-dinner, post breakfast or lunch gelato from one of the nearby gelaterias. Ah, the sound of the worlds most famous fountain and eating magical gelato while you sit on the steps is truly wonderful when not too crowded (read very early morning and late at night).

The Trevi Fountain, or Fontana di Trevi in Italian, is Italy’s most famous fountain, standing 85 feet high and 65 feet across. The fountain can be found in Rome's Piazza di Trevi in the Quirinale district and is easily reached by bus, Metro or on foot as we did. The Trevi Fountain was designed by Roman architect Nicola Salvi. Construction began in 1732 and concluded three decades later under artist Giuseppe Pannini as Salvi's successor. The site originally marked the terminal at the Aqua Virgo aqueduct built in 19 BC.

The central figures of the fountain are Neptune (God of the sea), flanked by two Tritons. One struggles to master an unruly "sea horse", the other leads a far more docile animal. These symbolize the two contrasting moods of the sea. One of the first storey reliefs shows a young girl (the legendary virgin after whom the aqueduct was named) pointing to the spring from which the water flows.

The throwing of coins into the Trevi Fountain in Rome is a popular ritual that tourists from all over the globe just love to take part in and we could not resist the the legend. What if it is true? The practice of throwing coins in to the Trevi Fountain comes from a couple of legends that explain why so many people are so keen on coin throwing.

The first is that the throwing of a coin over your shoulder will ensure that you will return to Rome in the future. We could not resist the possibility, so when in Rome...

The second legend was the inspiration behind the film “Three Coins in the Trevi Fountain“. This legend claims that you should throw three coins into the fountain. The first coin guarantees your return to Rome, the second will ensure a new romance, and the third will ensure marriage.

The municipality of Rome collects the coins from the Trevi Fountain every day to prevent them from being stolen (they retrieve about 3k euros a day). They have created a fund in order to finance a supermarket for the poor people of Rome with the help of Italy’s Red Cross charity.

The Trevi Fountain is one of Rome’s most well-known monuments and it became even more famous thanks to the film “La Dolce Vita” but The entire area around the fountain is steeped in history with incredible architecture. 

The trevi Fountain is just a wonderful sight to behold and we strongly suggest you visit during the day time and at night, as they are two very different experiences that you 'must do' while in the Eternal City.

Ciao Ciao Roma

Happy Wine Adventures,

Cheers,

WineWalkabout

Kiwi & Koala

Enjoy this little part of the movie with Frank singing the famous song