Perhaps one of the most famous icons of Rome would be the Trevi Fountain (Fontana di Trevi). If you've watched movies like La Dolce Vita, Roman Holiday, When in Rome, or even the Chinese TVB drama series Triumph in the Skies, you'll see a very beautiful fountain in Rome and that's the famous Trevi Fountain. At 85 feet high and 65 feet wide, it’s the biggest baroque fountain in the entire city of Rome and almost every tourist to the city would make their way to this fountain at least once.
When in Rome, you'll notice that there were quite a number of fountains but none of them is as famous as this fountain here. A little history about the fountain which I read from the travel guide: Trevi Fountain was originally built on this spot in the mid-15th century, when the tradition of building fountains to mark the end point of an acqueduct of the three roads (Acqua Vergine). The acqueduct was destroyed by invaders in the 6th century, but repaired in the 15th century by order of the Pope when the first fountain was built. The Trevi Fountain today, which was completed in 1762, is still served by that same Acqua Vergine acqueduct.
This place is horribly crowded and so you won't miss this spot if you're traveling on foot without a guide. A tricky note is that you should always ask for directions as this fountain is not located along some main roads. It's located in the midst of some old buildings with small roads. This place is a haven for pickpockets so beware of your bags and pockets. Don't take pictures with those Gladiators as they are there to make big bucks from you. Apart from that, it's still a place that one has to visit when in Rome. The fountain is indeed big and magnificent.
While you're there, don't forget to toss a coin. There's a legend about throwing coins in the Trevi Fountain. Watch the people. The original legend says that if you throw a coin into the Trevi, with your right hand over your left shoulder and your back to the fountain – that will ensure a return to Rome. In modern times, thanks to the film “Three Coins in the Fountain,” it says throwing one coin means a return to Rome, a second coin leads to a new romance, and a third coin leads to marriage.
Err... I think I threw 4 coins. What does that mean? A road leading to eternal happiness? Haha...
Did you know that about 3000 Euros is collected from the fountain daily?!! The coins are collected every night and the funds have been used to fund a supermarket that serves the poor of Rome, the Italian Red Cross, as well as other local charities. There are attempts of people trying to jump into the fountain and perhaps take the coins but there are many policemen all around the fountain eyeing on you!
I think it'll be good for our economy if we have such a fountain in Malaysia. RM3000 daily will do a lot of good to our economy too!
When in Rome, you'll notice that there were quite a number of fountains but none of them is as famous as this fountain here. A little history about the fountain which I read from the travel guide: Trevi Fountain was originally built on this spot in the mid-15th century, when the tradition of building fountains to mark the end point of an acqueduct of the three roads (Acqua Vergine). The acqueduct was destroyed by invaders in the 6th century, but repaired in the 15th century by order of the Pope when the first fountain was built. The Trevi Fountain today, which was completed in 1762, is still served by that same Acqua Vergine acqueduct.
This place is horribly crowded and so you won't miss this spot if you're traveling on foot without a guide. A tricky note is that you should always ask for directions as this fountain is not located along some main roads. It's located in the midst of some old buildings with small roads. This place is a haven for pickpockets so beware of your bags and pockets. Don't take pictures with those Gladiators as they are there to make big bucks from you. Apart from that, it's still a place that one has to visit when in Rome. The fountain is indeed big and magnificent.
While you're there, don't forget to toss a coin. There's a legend about throwing coins in the Trevi Fountain. Watch the people. The original legend says that if you throw a coin into the Trevi, with your right hand over your left shoulder and your back to the fountain – that will ensure a return to Rome. In modern times, thanks to the film “Three Coins in the Fountain,” it says throwing one coin means a return to Rome, a second coin leads to a new romance, and a third coin leads to marriage.
Err... I think I threw 4 coins. What does that mean? A road leading to eternal happiness? Haha...
Did you know that about 3000 Euros is collected from the fountain daily?!! The coins are collected every night and the funds have been used to fund a supermarket that serves the poor of Rome, the Italian Red Cross, as well as other local charities. There are attempts of people trying to jump into the fountain and perhaps take the coins but there are many policemen all around the fountain eyeing on you!
I think it'll be good for our economy if we have such a fountain in Malaysia. RM3000 daily will do a lot of good to our economy too!
