Make a Wish at the Trevi Fountain, the Most Famous Fountain in Rome:
Trevi Fountain, Rome © Travel Signposts
As the original legend goes, if you stand with your back to the Trevi Fountain and throw a coin into the fountain (with your right hand throwing the coin over your left shoulder), you will be sure to return to Rome. Since time immemorial, visitors to Rome have been coming to the Trevi to throw their coin, each one wanting to ensure a return to the External City.
Trevi Fountain in Movies
Movies like “Roman Holiday”, “La Dolce Vita” and “Three Coins in the Fountain” have helped to make Trevi Fountain famous around the world. The 1954 romantic comedy “Three Coins in the Fountain” added a different perspective to coin throwing. The three American girls working at the American Embassy dream of finding romance in Rome and come to the Fountain to make their wish and as the lyrics go:
Three Coins in the Fountain
Each one seeking happiness
Thrown by three hopeful lovers
Which one will the fountain bless?
Just one wish will be granted. Make it mine, make it mine, make it mine!
So hang around the Trevi Fountain in the evenings and enjoy the excitement of the many young ladies throwing their coins into the fountain, each one wishing that they will meet their “Italian Prince Charming” as Maria did in the movie.
Whether you believe in one coin, two coins or three, as the superstition seems to have evolved over time, strolling around the Trevi in the evenings is a very Roman thing to do. It does get very crowded during the summer peak season, vendors will hassle you to buy a stem or bunch of rose and pick-pockets do lurk around to prey on the unsuspected. However, if you manage to get there at a quiet time, the setting is dramatic and romantic.
Each time we’re in Rome, a visit to the Trevi is a part of our routine to make a wish for our return to Rome. The money collected goes to a good cause – it is used to subsidize a supermarket for Rome’s needy.
The Most Famous Fountain in Rome
The Trevi is the largest and undoubtedly the most famous fountain in Rome. In 1629 Pope Urban VIII, asked Bernini to sketch possible renovations to an existing fountain which was deemed to being insufficiently dramatic. When the Pope died, Bernini’s project was abandoned, but one lasting contribution by Bernini was to relocate the fountain from the other side of the square to face the Quirinal Palace so the Pope could look down and enjoy it.
Though Bernini’s project was torn down for the fountain built by Nicola Salvi in 1762, there are many Bernini touches in the fountain that was built. The theatrical design includes the central figure of Neptune, flanked by two Tritons. The two tritons symbolize the contrasting moods of the sea with one struggling to control a very unruly seahorse and the other leading a more docile animal.
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Rome is one of world’s most photogenic cities – not surprising when you remember what is here – The Vatican City, the Trevi Fountain, Saint Peter’s Square, Spanish Steps, Colosseum… Whether you spend your time sightseeing, or lazing in cafes watching the world go by, it will be your turn to feature in your very own Roman holiday.