One of the most famous scenes in the history of Italian film making is the one in La Dolce Vita where Anita Ekberg invites Marcello Mastroianni to join her in the Trevi Fountain.
In reality it is severely forbidden to enter the water of the Fontana di Trevi, which was designed by the architect Nicola Salvi by order of Pope Clement XII.
The Trevi Fountain (height 26m and width 22m) is, as is the case with several churches and monuments in Rome, located at the spot where there used to be a well. It was called Trevi because the square it faces is called Trevi and the square is called Trevi because three streets (“tre vie”) used to lead to it.
The statue to the right of the mountain depicts a virgin who had told a soldier where the well was to be found.
Trevi Fountain B&B’s: Book bed and breakfasts near Trevi Fountain.
The biggest statue dominating the center of the fountain depicts the God of the Sea Neptune on a shell-shaped chariot. Two winged horses pull him towards the ocean. The horses, one calm and one restless, are supposed to personify the two aspects of the sea.
The niches on either side of the fountain contain statues personifying the notions of Health and Abundance.
It is common practice to throw a coin into the Trevi Fountain before leaving Rome. This has to be done over the left shoulder, with one’s back to the monument. According to legend this would assure a future return to the Eternal City. In the past one was supposed to take a sip of water from the fountain in order to achieve this, not the most healthy of superstitions.
Trevi Fountain: Rome’s Most Famous Fountain Practical Information
| Address | Piazza di Trevi |
| District | Trevi (Rome center) (Quirinale, Via del Tritone, Piazza Barberini) |
| Hotels nearby | Trevi Fountain Hotels |
| Telephone | Not appliccable |
| Opening Hours | Always open |
| Closed | Never |
| Admission | Free |
| Public transport | Metro A: Barberini |
| Special Holidays/Events | None |
| Note | If you can, visit the Trevi Fountain after midnight, when the crowds are gone and you can marvel at its beauty. |
Directions to the Trevi Fountain: Rome’s Most Famous Fountain
Take metro line A to Barberini (2 stops). Find the Via del Tritone, follow this street and turn left into the Via della Stamperia.