Trevi Fountain

28 years ago I took a picture of the Trevi Fountain. Just one. And it really wasn't a good photo. It was an overcast day and I had my Dad's old Pentax with no idea how to use it. The photo is dark and grainy, but someone the beauty of the Trevi Fountain still shines through.

When I last left off on our Roma adventure I left you with us climbing up a huge hill only to discover the fountain was a block or so from where we paid 48EU for beer and water.  Had we had our wits about us we might have heard the noise coming from down the alley way.

I wish I would have taken a photo of the HOARDS of people that were at the fountain that day, but I didn't. I was too tired of people by then and too much in the zone of getting in, getting the photos, and getting out. I really wanted to go back in the evening at some point, but frankly we just didn't have it in us. We were tired, and drained by the end of each day that the thought of hopping in a cab and getting to the fountain was just not something I wanted to entertain.

Next time I go to Rome, it'll be JUST to Rome.

The Trevi fountain is magical to me. The story goes that if you toss a coin in the fountain it'll guarantee you'll return to Rome. I tossed a coin 28 years ago, and sure enough I returned to Rome. It was, however, pointed out to me that I should have paid the  Trevi Fountain more and maybe I would have returned to Rome sooner.  This time I took no chances and gave the fountain a big 2EU coin. Plus, the money is removed every night and given to the Italian Red Cross to help feed the hungry. I felt okay giving my donation to the fountain for such a good cause. They estimate that 3,000EU are tossed in the fountain daily.  That's a lot of moola to feed the hungry.



Tossing my coin in the fountain was an adventure to be sure. The actual act of tossing wasn't, but getting to the fountain was like nothing I've experienced before. Did I mention the HOARDS of people there? Yah, and I might add, not all of them really considerate of the others around them.

I stole this photo from the Internet so you can get an idea of how many people were there. And I still don't think this does it justice.

Photo from MyPostageStamp.com

I sharpened my elbows and worked my way rather rudely to the edge of the fountain. The people around me were doing the same, so I figured, "When in Rome...".

Oh and be sure to notice the hot, tired, sweaty hair.  We had not only traveled the entire night to get to Rome (makes for bad airplane hair), but then it was hot and I was sweaty and gross...which gave to the hot, sweaty, airplane hair. Fashionista I ain't.




Mom, Jack and Suzi had to do the same. And sadly once they got down there they tossed their coins almost immediately. I wasn't ready for them and didn't get the actual tossing of the coin. So I made them do it again and "pretend" to toss the coin so I could capture it on film. 

20 minutes later they got through the crowds and back up on the platform.

Now, about the fountain. It is no doubt likely on of the most photographed fountains in the world.  Just searching for it online and you'll find HUNDREDS if not thousands of photos.  

The fountain was designed by Nicola Salvi and then created by Pietro Bracci. I was sure the fountain was a Bernini design, but I was wrong. What? I can be wrong once in a while. But, in my research I found out that a Pope asked Bernini to draw a sketch of it. That project was killed and Bernini never really did more on it. There are touches of Bernini in the fountain, they say.

This Baroque style fountain is 86ft high and 161ft wide. Legend holds that in 19 BC thirsty Roman soldiers were guided by a young girl to a source of pure water thirteen kilometers from the city of Rome. The discovery of the source led Augustus to commission the construction of a twenty-two kilometer aqueduct leading into the city, which was named Aqua Virgo, or Virgin Waters, in honor of the legendary young girl. The aqueduct served the hot Baths of Agrippa, and Rome, for over four hundred years.  The fountain is at the junction of three roads that were once the aqueducts into Rome.

Well that takes care of day one in Rome. Later today, or perhaps tomorrow I'll enlighten you with my stores of the Colisseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. I know you're waiting with baited breath. I mean, who wouldn't be, right?