The Fontana di Trevi is one of Rome’s most iconic attractions and one of the world’s greatest fountains, rich in history, symbolism, and cultural expression. It is situated at the intersection of three streets: Via Delle Murate, Via Poli, and via De’Crocicchi. Trevi is derived from the word trivium, which means a junction of three roads, thus the name Fontana di Trevi, or Fountain of Trevi. Unsuspecting visitors turning into the small square are often staggered by the breathtaking scope of the fountain compared to the confines of the neighborhood.
The location of the fountain is historic as it represents the terminal point of the Aqua Virgo, an ancient aqueduct built in 19 BC under the direction of Marcus Agrippa, a Roman general and son-in-law to the emperor Augustus. Augustus was known for initiating the Pax Romana, which ushered in a long history of Roman peace.
Remarkably, over 2000 years old, the Aqua Virgo is still in use today, carrying water for 14 miles through a series of underground tunnels and aqueducts to the citizens of Rome. Originally, the Aqua Virgo gets its name from a Roman myth of a young, virginous girl purportedly showing the soldiers of Marcus Agrippa the source of a large spring to use for the proposed aqueduct.
The idea of the fountain was originally conceived as a monumental upgrade of an existing simple fountain found at the site. Pope Urban VIII commissioned a redesign by the famous sculptor Bernini, but construction was abandoned after the Pope’s death. In 1730, the idea for the fountain reemerged during the Renaissance and Pope Clement XII held a design contest, which was won by Alessandro Galilei, a famous architect, but who was of Florentine origin. Roman outcry forced the Pope to cede authority for the design to a Bonafide Roman, and Nicola Salvi was appointed. Salvi began the project in 1732 but died in 1751 before it was completed. Giuseppe Pannini assumed control of the project and finished it in Salvi’s vision, in 1762. The project took 30 years to complete.
The fountain was hailed as a Baroque masterpiece. Baroque is a style of European art, architecture and music that was popular between 1600 and 1750. When the Renaissance was ushered in by 1750, Baroque was considered passe and overly elaborate. Baroque was characterized by drama, grandeur, movement, emotion, and theatricality.
The Fountain of Trevi is abutted to the central façade of a building known as the Pallazo Poli, and 18th century palace. The fountain stands 86 feet tall and 161 feet wide. The fountain has a closed water circulation unit which pumps 21 million gallons of water through the fountain in a 24-hour period. The fountain costs about several thousand Euro’s per week to operate to maintain water purification, lighting, security, and cleaning and general maintenance measures. The fountain was restored in 2014 by a generous gift of 2.2 million Euro’s by Fendi.
The fountain symbolizes the taming of the waters and features movement, emotion, a fine integration of architecture and sculpture, carefully placed lighting, and brilliant use of shadow to deliver a breathtaking experience to the viewer, bracketed on a framework of mythological allegory.
Oceanus, the god of the sea, is the focus of the fountain, the master of the seas, riding a shell-shaped chariot that is hauled by two distinctly different seahorses. One horse is calm and under control while the other is wild and disobedient, symbolizing two decisive temperaments of the sea, calm versus stormy.
Flanking Oceanus are two Tritons, half-man, half-fish, blowing conch shells and guiding the horses through the waters of life. Water is the main theme with its life-giving, healing, and purifying properties.
Set in and framed on the building’s façade, on each side of Oceanus, is Abundance, a statue of a woman spilling water from an urn, symbolizing the abundance and power of water, and Salubrity, holding a cup in which a snake drinks, symbolizing health. Both represent human virtues sustained by water.
Above these statues are bas-reliefs, a type of sculptural relief in which the projection of the figures is only slight, creating a subtle 3-D effect. The reliefs feature scenes from the virginous girl leading the soldiers to the spring from which the Aqua Virgo aqueduct would originate. The papal coat of arms of Clement XII rests atop the building along with four more statues all having themes involving the lifeblood of water, bringing to bear fertility of fruit, crops, and gardens.
Travertine stone, a porous, pale limestone, sourced from Tivoli region, east of Rome, was used for the main architectural structure of the fountain, for rocks, lower basins, ledges and framework, and the lower portions of the waterfall and cascades. Travertine is readily available stone, is easy to carve and is typically used in Roman architectural construction. Carrara marble is a fine-grained white marble from Carrara, in Tuscany, and is used for detailed sculpture since ancient Rome. It is valued for its smoothness, once polished, and its ability to be detailed. Carrara marble was used for the sculptures of Oceanus, the Tritons, the horses, Abundance and Salubrity and the bas-reliefs.
The statues would have been built from a large block Carrara marble, and a point chisel, or Gradina, in Italian, would have been used to chip away large portions of marble by striking it with a mallet. Next, the sculptor would have taken a toothed chisel to refine the shape, and then a flat chisel for smoothing contours. Claw chisels, named for its multiple teeth, were used to give the proper texture to muscles and drapery, while rifflers and rasps would be used to smooth curvatures and facial features. Finally, sandpaper and stones with just the right kind of fine abrasive quality would be used to polish or roughen the figure.
Culturally, the Fountain of Trevi enjoyed intense popularity among Roman’s and tourists alike. One popular superstition that has persisted over the years is throwing coins into the basin of the fountain. It is estimated that the fountain collects 3,000 Euro’s per day, which the city of Rome donates to charities that feed the poor. It is said in Roman lore that if you turn your back to the fountain and toss a coin over your shoulder into its waters, the Trevi Fountain will ensure your return to Rome someday. Two coins is said to bring you love, and three coins gifts you a bride or groom on your return. The fountain has been the victim of vandalism in the past and activists have been known to discolor the water in the fountain during protests over the years. The fountain has also appeared cinema graphically in several movies, perhaps the best known of which is Federico Fellini’s film La Dolce Vita, where Anita Ekberg wades into the fountain, further cementing its popularity.
Surviving for centuries, The Trevi Fountain remains a juggernaut of artistic vision and creation. It was crafted with loving perfection at a time when art and architecture were considered of paramount importance to enhancing the quality of life of ordinary citizens, giving them pride and respect in not only their city, but in themselves as well. It remains one of the most awe-inspiring achievements the hand of man has ever produced. But perhaps its greatest achievement can be seen, not in the determined visage of Oceanus, or the beauty of the roughened Travertine stone, or the powerful movement of the seahorses as they splash daringly forward, but in the faces of the people gathered round, of the palpable sense of community it has inspired in one of the greatest cities the world has ever known, as if people from all over the world have been harkened by the thrilling call from the Triton’s conch shells and brought to the shores of the fountain to share the matrimony of life and art. The Fountain of Trevi remains a supreme example of the magic of what great art can do for, and to, mankind.
