Amateur Adventures #47: Exploring Rome Part 2 - Trevi Fountain and 1200 Other Tourists

Hi lovely Steemian friends

Today we explore more of Romes tourist attractions - though this one may not turn out like you would expect.

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I will confess I am a mad Audrey Hepburn fan. Which means there were two places in the world that it was essential I go to. Tiffany's of course, my first visit being on a trip to San Francisco, before they turned up locally in Sydney.

The other in case you haven't guessed - is Trevi Fountain in Rome.

So naturally on our trip to Rome I was beyond excited to have the chance to see the Fountain for myself... and of course to throw a coin in - as tradition demands.

But... before we go any further - let me share a few interesting facts about Trevi Fountain

• The water source for the fountain (the terminal point of the Acqua Vergine) was located by thirsty Roman soldiers in 19BC - supposedly shown to them by a young girl - hence the name of the aqueduct - which means Virgin's Waters. It is one of the oldest water sources in Rome.
• Trevi fountain pumps out almost 3 million cubic feet of water everyday. While many fountains in Rome are fed from the aquifers and you can drink from them, however these days the water in Trevi Fountain is recycled so best use the designated drinking fountains close by.
• The fountain we see today is not the original fountain that was built in 1453, but rather was the winning entry from a competition held by Pope Clement xii and was completed in 162 after 30 years.

• The fountain feeds the Rome's poor and homeless. Most people will be familiar with the tradition of throwing a coin over their left shoulder in to the fountain, meaning they will return to Rome one day. An average of 3000 Euros get's thrown into the fountain everyday (US$1.5 million in 2016). The money goes towards a supermarket program that helps feed Rome's needy. It is illegal to steal coins from the fountain.
• In 1996 the fountain was turned off and draped in black. This was to honour actor Marcello Mastroianni following his death. His movie, La Dolce Vita's, most iconic scene was filmed in Trevi Fountain.
• The fountain has appeared in many famous movies including La Dolce Vita, Roman Holiday and Three Coins in the Fountain.
• In May 2017 a proposal was put forward to ban tourists from stopping in front of the Fountain - due to illegal swimming - no doubt trying to recreate the scene from La Dolce Vita

The Statues of Trevi Fountain

Oceanus stands under a triumphal arch, his chariot being pulled by two seahorses - one wild and one tame in order to represent to two moods of the sea. The horses are each led by a Triton

Abundance stands to the left of the arch, holding the horn of plenty

Health stands to the right of the arch, crowned with a laurel wreath and holding a cup from which a snake drinks.

Above the statues carved reliefs illustrate the a virgin leading soldiers to the source of the water and Agrippa commanding his generals to build the aqueduct.

Across the top of the fountain are four statues, representing the effects of water on the earth. They are:

• Abundance of Fruits - holding a horn of plenty
• Fertility of Crops - holding ears of wheat
• Products of Autumn - holding a cup and bunches of grapes
• Joy of Prairie and Gardens - adorned with flowers

Throw a Coin in Trevi Fountain

Throwing a coin into the fountain is a popular tradition for almost all visitors to the fountain. It is believed that throwing of a coin from the right hand over the left shoulder will ensure that you will return to Rome in the future.

In addition - thanks to the movie Three Coins in the Fountain another legend claims that you should throw three coins into the fountain. The first coin guarantees your return to Rome, the second will ensure a new romance, and the third will ensure marriage.

A visit to Trevi Fountain

So in the middle of summer, in 40 C degree heat (100 F), after more than 4 months of being in each others company 24 hours a day 7 days a week, I thought a quiet romantic moment at the place where one of the most iconic and romantic movie scenes was ever filmed - was just the thing we needed!

And I did not bank on the other 1200 tourists that crowd the fountain every hour with the same idea.

But I was determined to get that perfect shot (Spoiler alert: I didn't) and for the next hour pushed and shoved through other tourists, waited to get shots without other tourists, barked orders at my non-camera oriented husband - who loathed crowds, and hadn't seen any of the great movie scenes shot there, so didn't understand the fuss or my frustration.

Suffice to say that at the time I really didn't enjoy the experience of what I had thought would be one of my favourite places in the Eternal City.

I wish nothing more than to be able to espouse a wildly romantic experience, but to be honest I came away hot bothered and disappointed. Trevi Fountain had so many expectations to live up to and maybe they were unrealistic. Hollywood has a lot to answer for!

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You can find this, and other exciting adventures from some great travelling Steemians at Steemit Worldmap

!steemitworldmap 41.900624000000015 lat 12.483075999999983 long The Trevi Fountain - D3SCR

Source:

1. Photos are the work of the author
2. This is original Content and may at some future point also be found at my Travel Blog The Amateur Adventurer
3. You can check out some of my other posts here:
   • Amateur Adventures # 44: Lazing on Lake Garda Part 2 - Malcesine & Mt Baldo
   • Amateur Adventures #45: Living the Good Life - A Weekend in Venice
   • MOTU: The Quest Continues - onward to Gorthlindir
   • Amateur Adventures #46: Exploring Rome Part 1 - The Colosseum

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