Trevi Fountain

Trevi Fountain: Genuinely Impressive, Genuinely Small, and Best Seen at 8am

The Trevi Fountain is genuinely impressive. Nicola Salvi’s 1762 baroque composition – Neptune in a conch-shell chariot pulled by sea horses, allegories of abundance and health flanking him, the rear wall of the Palazzo Poli serving as a theatrical backdrop – is among the finest examples of baroque civic design in Europe. The water volume is substantial; the sound is part of the experience. It is also approximately 17 metres wide, which makes it quite a bit smaller than most photographs suggest, because most photographs are taken from the front with a telephoto lens that compresses the space.

The coins are not entirely folklore. Approximately EUR 1.5 million worth of coins are thrown in annually, collected each year and donated to Caritas, Rome’s main Catholic charity. The tradition of throwing one coin to guarantee a return to Rome became internationally known after the 1954 film Three Coins in the Fountain. The coins are real. The guarantee is not.

The fountain’s water comes from the Aqua Virgo, one of ancient Rome’s aqueducts that has been carrying water into this part of the city since 19 BCE. The water today is recycled and treated rather than spring-fed directly, but the source has been running continuously for over 2,000 years.

Visiting Practically

The piazza around the fountain is about 15 metres deep. On a July afternoon at 2pm, there are several hundred people in that space. On a Tuesday morning in October at 8:30am, there are perhaps 30 or 40. This is not an exaggeration. The fountain is accessible 24 hours and is illuminated at night, which produces a generally better experience in summer than the daytime crowds allow. Entry to the viewing area costs EUR 1, introduced by the Rome city council to reduce congestion.

What’s Nearby

Walk two minutes east to the Palazzo Barberini, which houses a branch of the Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica. The collection includes Caravaggio’s Judith Beheading Holofernes and Raphael’s La Fornarina; the building itself has contributions from both Bernini and Borromini. It is consistently overlooked in favour of more famous sites and the galleries are rarely crowded. Entry is EUR 12.

The Piazza di Spagna (Spanish Steps) is a 10-minute walk northwest. The Keats-Shelley House at the base, where Keats died in 1821, is a genuinely interesting small museum for GBP 6 and worth the 30 minutes it takes.

Eating

The immediate streets around the fountain charge tourist premiums. Walk three blocks northwest toward Via della Croce for normal Roman restaurants at normal Roman prices. For gelato, Gelateria della Palma on Via della Maddalena a few minutes from the fountain is reliably good. Avoid anything served in a pre-moulded flower shape at the fountain itself.