The Trevi Fountain is one of Rome’s great theatrical masterpieces: a Baroque explosion of water, mythology, movement, and marble that somehow manages to remain magical even under impossible tourist crowds.
Designed by Nicola Salvi in 1732 and completed by Giuseppe Pannini in 1762, it marks the final point of the ancient Acquedotto Vergine — the Virgin’s Aqueduct — originally built in 19 BC and still functioning today.
Most of the information here comes from Rome’s Simposio.
WHY IS IT CALLED THE TREVI FOUNTAIN?
There are two main theories.
The first is that the name comes from the Trevi district itself, derived from the Latin trivium, meaning the intersection of three streets.
The second is that the fountain collected the waters of three branches of the Aqua Virgo aqueduct.
THE LEGEND OF THE VIRGIN’S AQUEDUCT
According to legend, Roman general Marco Vipsanio Agrippa commissioned the aqueduct after a young virgin guided his thirsty soldiers to a hidden spring.
The episode is represented on the fountain itself.
The panel on the upper right shows the girl revealing the spring to the soldiers, while the left panel depicts Agrippa ordering the construction of the aqueduct.
THAT’S NOT NEPTUNE
One of the most common mistakes tourists make at the Trevi Fountain is calling the central statue Neptune.
It is not Neptune.
It is Oceanus.
Oceanus is a Titan connected to the primordial ocean: the great cosmic water from which all things originated. Neptune, meanwhile, is a more practical and terrestrial god, associated with the sea the Romans physically navigated and experienced.
And somehow this feels very Roman: making things dramatically bigger than necessary.
THE TRITONS AND THE TWO HORSES
At Oceanus’s sides stand two Tritons guiding two winged sea horses.
One horse is calm.
The other wild and restless.
Together, they symbolize the changing moods of the sea.
The Tritons themselves are mythological sea creatures: half man, half fish, sometimes benevolent, sometimes terrifying. One of them blows into a shell trumpet, traditionally believed to calm storms.
THE WOMEN OF THE TREVI FOUNTAIN
In the niches beside Oceanus stand two female allegories.
To the left is the Goddess of Abundance, recognizable by the cornucopia at her feet: water as prosperity and nourishment.
To the right stands the Goddess of Salubrity, watering a snake — an ancient symbol connected to healing, purity, and wellness.
A LITTLE TREVI FOUNTAIN GAME
Next time you visit the Trevi Fountain, slow down for a moment and look carefully between the rocks. Can you spot a rampant lion emblem hidden in the marble?
If you find it, you’ve just discovered the symbol of Cardinal Giovanni Costanzo Caracciolo di Santobono, a Neapolitan cardinal born, incredibly enough, aboard a ship in the Caribbean Sea while his father was traveling toward Peru as Bourbon viceroy.
At the time, he was Rome’s Procuratore delle Acque — essentially the supervisor of the city’s aqueducts — and likely one of the figures responsible for approving Nicola Salvi’s Trevi Fountain project.
And now another detail. Look for a solitary vase shaped like the Ace of Cups from Italian playing cards.
Romans call it exactly that: Asso di Coppe.
According to local legend, behind that spot once stood a barber shop whose owner constantly criticized Salvi’s work while the fountain was being built.
Eventually, exhausted by the endless commentary, the architect supposedly placed the massive vase there specifically to block the barber’s view.
Which is perhaps one of the most Roman revenge stories ever told.
THE TREVI FOUNTAIN COIN TOSS TRADITION
Every year, Rome collects around one million euros from the coins thrown into the Trevi Fountain. The money goes to charity.
But where did the tradition begin?
According to some sources, the ritual dates back to the 19th century, when German archaeologist Wolfgang Helbig invented it to ease the sadness of leaving Rome.
Instead of euros, visitors threw ancient coins into the water before departure and sealed the gesture by drinking from the fountain itself.
Please do not attempt the second part today.
HOW TO THROW A COIN INTO THE TREVI FOUNTAIN
Roman folklore says there is a proper method.
You must:
- turn your back to the fountain
- close your eyes
- throw the coin with your right hand over your left shoulder
- then turn around and watch it land in the water
If done correctly, legend promises you will return to Rome.
And honestly, Rome rarely needs much convincing.
Optional: play the perfect song for this moment: Arrivederci Roma.
THE MEANING OF THE THREE COINS
According to tradition:
- The first coin guarantees your return to Rome
- The second brings love
- The third leads to marriage
Though according to some darker Roman interpretations, the third one may instead lead to divorce and a fresh start.
Which also feels extremely Roman.
THE LOVE FOUNTAIN: A FORGOTTEN ROMAN TRADITION
To the right of the Trevi Fountain stands a smaller fountain called the Fontana degli Innamorati — the Lovers’ Fountain.
In the past, when a young Roman man had to leave the city, his girlfriend would bring him there, hand him a glass filled with the fountain’s water, and ask him to drink it completely before breaking the glass.
The ritual was believed to ensure loyalty, safe return, and eventual marriage.
Romans have always been dramatic.
THE TREVI FOUNTAIN IN THE MOVIES
Cinema transformed the Trevi Fountain into a global symbol of Rome.
In La Dolce Vita (1960), Federico Fellini turned it into the stage of Rome’s glamorous, decadent nightlife through Anita Ekberg and Marcello Mastroianni’s legendary fountain scene.
In Roman Holiday (1953), Audrey Hepburn gets her iconic haircut in a barber shop overlooking the fountain.
And Totò — perhaps Italy’s greatest comedian — once “sold” the Trevi Fountain to a naive Italian-American tourist in Totòtruffa ’62.
Which, honestly, feels like something a Roman would attempt even today.
A FINAL NOTE BEFORE YOU GO
The Trevi Fountain is crowded, loud, theatrical, and almost absurdly beautiful.
Like Rome itself.
And despite all the tourists, the cameras, and the impossible queues, there are still moments — usually late at night, when the marble turns silver under the lights — in which the fountain suddenly feels ancient again.
And very alive.
Claudia