Il Fontana di Trevi is easily one of Rome's most famous fountains; there is hardly a time one can visit without also being joined by hundreds of others. This famous masterpiece is relatively young compared to the other structures in the city. It was inspired by Roman triumphal arches and designed by Nicola Salvi in 1732 and completed thirty years later. Il Fontana shows Neptune, god of the sea, and two tritons on either side of him along with seahorses. One is calm while the other looks uncontrollable; these two represent the two natures of the sea. The fountain was built to commemorate the ending of a Roman aqueduct, the Acqua Vergine. It is said that if one throws a coin into the fountain, one is guaranteed a trip back to Rome someday. Apparently many people are due to come back; the daily amount visitors toss in around 3,000 euro! The coins are collected each night and the money is put into a charity to help feed Rome's poor.
My sister, Sabrina, studied in Rome two years ago and declared this her favorite spot in the city, so of course I couldn't wait to visit it myself. I had seen pictures and she had spoken so highly of it that I wanted to make it one of the first things I saw here. Il Fontana doesn't disappoint; when I went I couldn't help but just stare at all the intricacies and the beauty of it. Naturally, I threw in a coin, which has two good consequences - contributing to a charity and solidifying my return to the city which I've already fallen in love with.
1. "BBC NEWS | Europe | Trevi coins to fund food for poor." BBC NEWS | News Front Page. 27 Nov. 2006. 19 May 2009
2. Publishing, DK. Rome (Eyewitness Travel Guides). New York: DK Travel, 2006.
No comments:
Post a Comment