Fontana di Trevi, Baroque fountain in Trevi district, Rome, Italy
The Trevi Fountain is a monumental fountain built into the rear facade of Palazzo Poli in the Trevi district of Rome. Its travertine front rises 26.3 metres high and 49.15 metres wide, with Oceanus standing in a shell-shaped chariot pulled by two winged sea horses, one calm and one rearing, each guided by a Triton. Water cascades over rocky formations into a large basin.
Pope Urban VIII commissioned Gian Lorenzo Bernini in the 17th century to redesign it, but Nicola Salvi completed the fountain between 1732 and 1762. The structure replaced the older Renaissance fountain that had stood at this spot since the 15th century.
The fountain's name comes from the Latin trivium, the junction of three streets where it stands. Visitors throw a coin with the right hand over the left shoulder to ensure a return to Rome; about 3,000 euros are collected daily and used to subsidize a supermarket for the city's poor.
The fountain remains accessible day and night, with early morning or late evening hours meaning fewer crowds. The nearest metro stop Barberini lies about eight walking minutes away on the red line.
The ancient Aqua Virgo aqueduct still supplies water to the fountain today, making it the only functioning Roman water system. This connection to antiquity means the water comes from the same source as over two thousand years ago.
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