Tossing a Coin in the Trevi Fountain: Legends & Traditions

Tossing a Coin in the Trevi Fountain: Legends and Traditions

The Trevi Fountain is an 18th-century fountain located in the Trevi neighborhood of Rome, Italy. It was designed by Italian architect Nicola Salvi and finished in 1762 by Giuseppe Pannini and other individuals. It is the largest Baroque fountain in the city and one of the most well-known fountains in the entire world, measuring 26.3 meters in height and 49.15 meters in width.

History before 1629 in Trevi Fountain

A fountain at the intersection of three streets marks the end of the “modern” or revived Aqua Virginia, one of the aqueducts that supplied water to ancient Rome. In 19 BC, Roman engineers reportedly discovered a source of pure water about 13 km from the city with the help of a maiden. However, the final indirect route of the aqueduct was about 14 miles long. This Virgin of Water led her waters to the baths of Agrippa. She served Rome for over 400 years.

The name origin of the Trevi Fountain

The fountain’s name comes from the Latin word ‘trivium’ (crossroads of three streets). The statue is located in the center of Via de Crocicchi, Via Poli, and Via delle Muratté.

Roman aqueducts of Trevi Fountain

In the 6th century, the aqueducts were poorly maintained, with 14 functioning aqueducts damaged by Ostrogothic invasions. A freshwater aqueduct transports water collected 10 km from the Italian capital to the Trevi Fountain. The aqueduct is still in use today, even though several interventions have emptied the fountain. Water without lime is also a factor.

Commission, construction, and design of Trevi Fountain

In 1629, Pope Urban VIII thought the earlier fountains were not dramatic enough and commissioned Gian Lorenzo Bernini to draw up a possible design for a renovation, but the plans were abandoned by the Pope. Abandoned after death. Although Bernini’s project was never actually built, the fountain in its present form incorporates many of Bernini’s elements.

An early and influential model by Pietro da Cortona preserved in the Albertina in Vienna and various sketches of the early 18th century, mostly unsigned, and a project attributed to Nicola Michetti (one of which is There is also Ferdinand’s project, which is considered a fugue). French design by Edmé Bouchardon.

The Baroque period saw a flourishing of design competitions for buildings, fountains, and the Spanish Steps. 1730, Pope Clement’s Construction began in 1732.

Salvi died in 1751 with a half-finished work, but he was careful not to let the unsightly remains of the barber ruin the ensemble, and it was decorated with a sculpture called the “Ace of Cups” by the Romans because of its size. hid behind a decorated vase. And it resembles a tarot card. He hired four different sculptors to decorate the fountain.

Pietro Bracci, Filippo della Valle, Giovanni Grossi, Andrea Bergondi. Giuseppe Panini, son of Giovanni Paolo Panini, was hired as architect.

The Trevi Fountain was finished in 1762 by Panini. Panini replaced the planned allegory with a planned sculpture of Agrippa and Trivia, Our Lady of Rome. The official opening and inauguration were held on 22 May by Pope Clement XIII. Most of the work is made of travertine stone quarried near Tivoli, about 35 kilometers east of Rome.

Restoration in the Trevi Fountain

The fountain was renovated once in 1988 and again in 1998 to remove discoloration from smog. The masonry was sanded, cracks and other damage were repaired by skilled craftsmen, and the fountain was fitted with a circulating pump.

In January 2013, it was announced that Italian fashion house Fendi would sponsor his 20-month, €2.2 million restoration of the fountain. This was to be the most comprehensive renovation in the fountain’s history.

Renovation work began in June 2014 and was done in November 2015. On the evening of November 3, 2015, an official ceremony was held to reopen the fountain. The restoration included the installation of over 100 LED lights by him to improve the lighting of the fountain at night.

2023 protests in Trevi Fountain

On May 21, 2023, activists from the climate change protest group Ultima Generazione destroyed the fountain by coloring the water with charcoal. Rome’s mayor Roberto Gualtieri condemned the attack on the cultural monument. Since the fountain recirculates water, cleaning the fountain would require emptying and replacing 300,000 liters of contaminated water, which would be costly.

Iconography in Trevi Fountain

The Fountain is set in Palazzo Poli, which has a new façade with a large number of Corinthian columns connecting the two main floors. Under the theme of “taming water,” a gigantic plan to fill a small square with a mixture of water and rocks is pushed forward. Triton pilots the Shellwagon of Oceanus and tames Kaiba.

In the center, an energetically modeled Arc de Triomphe covers the façade of the palace. The central alcove or exedra that surrounds the Oceanus is equipped with independent columns to maximize light and shadow. In the alcove next to Oceanus, Abundance spills water from a jar and Sarvriti holds a cup for a snake to drink from. The bas-relief above shows the origin of the Roman aqueduct.

The Triton and the Horse maximize the contrast of moods and poses for a symmetrical balance.

Coin throwing in the Trevi Fountain

The coin is said to be thrown from the left shoulder with the right hand. This was the theme of his 1954 Three Coins at the Fountain, as well as the Oscar-winning song of the same name that introduced the painting.

About 3,000 euros are thrown into the well every day. An estimated €1.4 million was thrown down the well in 2016. A supermarket for the poor in Rome was funded with that money. However, attempts to steal coins from wells occur regularly, even if illegal.

In popular culture in the Trevi Fountain

This fountain has appeared in several movies such as Roman Holiday. 3 coins in the well. Federico Fellini’s classic “Sweet Life”. Sabrina goes to Rome. And a Lizzie McGuire movie.

The Trevi Fountain is depicted in Ottorino Respighi’s 1916 symphonic poem The Fountains of Rome, the third movement “Trevi Fountain at Noon”.

In Federico Fellini’s 1960 film La Dolce Vita, Anita Ekberg walks in a fountain with Marcello Mastroianni.

In 1973, the Italian Post Office dedicated stamps to the Trevi Fountain.

In the 2003 film Lizzie Her McGuire Her Movie, Lizzie tossed a coin into the Trevi Fountain in hopes that her high school life would go smoothly.