A Beautiful Fountain in Trevi Square
- January 19, 2009
- Rated 5 of 5 by
Praskipark from Warsaw, Poland
La Fontana di Trevi
-------------------------
This is one attraction that I couldn't leave out of the review because it must be the most beautiful fountain in the whole of Rome. It is impressive and totally dominates the Trevi square. The central figure is Neptune, god of the sea. He is riding a chariot which is the shape of a shell and he is being pulled by two sea horses. One of the sea horses is calm and obedient but the other is restless and awkward. These two sea horses symbolise the ever changing moods of the sea.
The water at the bottom of the fountain represents the sea. It is custom to toss a coin into the water but you should toss it over your shoulder standing with your back to the fountain. The legend says that if you toss a coin into the water you will return again to the eternal city. I did toss a coin or two so hope I return very soon. We'll see if the legend is true.
From journal Six Days in Eternity
Trevi Fountain at Night
- July 27, 2008
- Rated 2 of 5 by
Sask99 from Melville, Saskatchewan
Trevi Fountain is a fountain, don't expect to see more than that. It is a popular tourist place, which means it will be crowded (watch out for pickpockets). The saying is you are to throw a coin over your shoulder into the fountain so that you will come back to Rome one day.
We went here just to say we saw Trevi fountain. We tossed our coin, took our pictures, then moved on to something less crowded.
If you are a people watcher this is an excellent place to go.
From journal An Awesome Week in Rome
Editor Pick
Trevi Fountian
- August 21, 2007
- Rated 5 of 5 by
Wasatch from heber ctity, Utah
The Trevi Fountain was one of favorite spots in Rome. We visited three times, mid-morning, late afternoon, and about 9:30pm. We concluded there is no time when the small Piazza Trevi, when the fountain is located, is not packed with tourists and hawkers. The variations in lighting at the different times of day make multiple visits more than mere repetition. I especially liked late afternoon, watching the sunset shadow line creep over the fountain.
During the course of our three visits, we had long looks at the fountain head on, from the far right, and from the far left from the steps. Each spot offers a different perspective and is worth doing. Another good view place is from the porch of the church at the corner of the square, and since we were there, we took a look inside the church as well. Also worth doing.
The water for the fountain comes from 12 miles away by Agrippa’s aqueduct, built in 19 B. C. and still working. Pope Clement XII had the present fountain built following a design by Bernini. The fountain, the largest in Rome, is built against the wall of the Duck of Poli’s Palace. A semi-circle of steps faces the front of the fountain and it’s a good place to sit to watch the waters.
This is the fountain of “Three Coins in the Fountain.” Interestingly, before the movie, Trevi Fountain was barely on the visitor’s radar. The movie made it one of the best known sights in Rome, if not in the world. The bottom of the pool is covered in coins, thrown in the water by tourists. According to the ancient legend, if you throw a coin in Trevi Fountain, some day you will return to Rome. Tossing your coin backward over your shoulder is the recommended procedure. Apparently the ancient legend about coin tossing was invented by the movie script.
On one visit, we were entertained by a guy trying to grab coins out of the fountain pool without getting seen by the ever present cops.
If you didn’t bring a camera, there is a commerical photographer with a Polaroid roaming the crowd who will be delighted to sell you a picture of your coin toss. He even shows you how to do it.
The Trevi Fountain is located at the intersection of Via d. Pilotta and Via d. Muratta. Via d. Muratta is a pedestrian-only street packed with tourists and lined with souvenir shops and over-priced restaurants connecting Trevi Square to Via d. Corso, one block away. It is easy to get to by one of the local buses running on V. d. Corso, Rome’s main shopping street.
A nice 2-3 hour walk connects the Trevi Fountain and Piazza Navona by way of the Pantheon.
From journal City of Thieves