The Trevi Fountain dates back to ancient Roman times, when the Aqua Virgo Aqueduct was constructed in 19 B.C. to provide water to the Roman baths and the fountains in the centre of Rome. Legend tells us that the Aqua Virgo, or Virgin Waters, is named in honour of a young Roman girl who led thirsty soldiers to the source of the spring to drink. The aqueduct was one of eleven ancient Roman aqueducts that brought water to the city from its source thirteen kilometres away.

The fountain was built at the end of the aqueduct where three streets converged. Tre vie means three streets in Italian, hence the reason for calling it the Trevi Fountain.

Time would take its toll with the original fountain deteriorating badly, not worthy of fronting the end point of an important aqueduct. In 1730 Pope Clement XII solved the problem by announcing a competition to design a new fountain. There were two top contenders, Alessandro Galilei and Nicola Salvi.

Alessandro, an architect from the same family as famous astronomer, Galileo, presented the top design. However, Alessandro was from Florence. The Roman people didn’t want an outsider designing a Roman fountain, so the design presented by the second place contestant, Nicola, won first prize. Nicola was from Rome! The money earned from the lotto in Rome financed the Trevi Fountain.

Unfortunately, Nicola Salvi never saw his fountain completed because he died in 1751. It wasn’t until 1762 that a different Pope, Clemens XIII, officially completed and inaugurated the new Trevi Fountain, eleven years after Salvi’s death.

The fountain is mostly built from travertine stone, the same material used to build the Colosseum. The travertine was quarried in Tivoli, 35 kilometres from Rome. It stands 26 metres tall and is 49 metres wide.

This artistic marvel is not just for show. It tells a story in stone and water reflecting Rome’s historical connection with water, from the ancient aqueducts to its role in daily Roman life.

The story of the fountain is described as “Taming of the waters”. In the centre of the fountain, there is a statue of Oceanus, the god of all water (mistakenly thought to be Neptune) standing beneath a triumphal arch. Two seahorses are pulling Oceanus’ chariots. The seahorses held back by the Tritons are both wild and tame, symbolising the contrasting moods of the sea from calm to turbulent.

On the left of Oceanus is the goddess of abundance with a relief above it depicting Agrippa commanding his generals to build the aqueduct. On the right of Oceanus is the goddess of health with a relief depicting a virgin girl showing soldiers where the source of water can be found. On the right side of the fountain there is an urn, put there simply to hide an ugly barber’s shop that was there at the time.

At the top there are four statues representing the fertile earth and the gifts provided by rainfall, including fruit, crops, the autumn harvest and flowers.

The fountain produces around 80,000 cubic metres of water every single day. This water is recycled and turned into clean drinking water available from drinking fountains all over Rome.

At the back of the fountain is the Palazzo Poli. It used to be owned by the Conti family, the Dukes of Poli, which is a town in the region of Lazio of which Rome is the capital. Today the Palazzo houses the Istituto Nazionale per la Grafica - the National Institute for Graphics.

Around 3,000 euros are thrown into the Trevi Fountain every day. The tradition is to throw the coin with your right hand over your left shoulder standing with your back to the fountain. One coin thrown into the fountain will ensure a return to Rome. Throw a second coin if you are seeking love and romance, or even a third to get married! The tradition dates back to the ancient Romans who often threw coins in water to make the gods of water favour their journey or help them return home safely.

Monday and Friday mornings around 8:00am, the water is drained and the coins collected using long brooms and suction hoses. The money is given to Rome’s Catholic Charity called Caritas who use the money to provide food and shelter for Rome’s poverty stricken communities.

In the past it was common for gangs of thieves to steal the coins out of the fountain at night. One gang was caught by a television show using a hidden camera in 2011. The most famous coin thief, Roberto Cercellatta, stole coins for 34 years until he was caught in the summer of 2002.

To fully appreciate how impressive the Trevi Fountain is, avoid the crowds by going early in the morning between 6:00am-6:30am. I can promise you it is worth it.

Ci vediamo la prossima settimana.

Deb