Famous and praised: the Trevi Fountain

In 1730, Pope Clemens XII commissioned a competition to design a fountain; there were no rules or necessary requirements. The winner was Nicola Salvi with his enormous but beautiful design of a fountain with the sea god Neptune. Construction began in 1732 but sadly Salvi never saw the completion of his creation; the world-famous Trevi Fountain was only concluded in 1762, 11 years after his death.

Arts & Culture
The clear water of the Trevi Fountain

The clear water of the Trevi Fountain

Delicious tea water

The water in the Trevi Fountain comes from the Acqua Vergine aqueduct; according to experts at the time, this was the softest and best tasting water in Rome. Every day, large kegs were filled with water from the fountain and brought to the Vatican. The water apparently was so delicious that the British in Rome used it to make tea. In 1961, however, the water was declared to be inappropriate for consumption. Today, the water from the Trevi Fountain is filtered by pumps and is just as clean as the water in your hotel. If taken straight from the pump, not from the basin, the water is appropriate for drinking – if you dare.

The scene of people tossing coins

The scene of people tossing coins

How to marry a Roman

The Trevi Fountain is the place to come and toss coins into the water for good luck. Legend states that if you toss a coin over your shoulder into the fountain, you will return to Rome someday. Two coins will ensure an encounter with the love of your life, and three coins will guarantee marriage to a Roman. The coins never remain in the water for more than 7 days; the city removes them every week and donates the money to charity. The Trevi Fountain has starred in many movies, but its most famous appearance was in ‘La Dolce Vita’. In this classic film, sultry Anita Ekberg takes a bath in the fountain.

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