trevi fountain italy. Trevi Fountain - The Uncrowned King of Roman Fountains

One of the most famous and melodic sights of Rome is the Trevi Fountain. The irresistible sound and beauty of this building inspired Italian composers to create their musical works.

Creation of the Trevi Fountain

The fountain was built in 1762 by the architect Nicolò Salvi during the reign of Pope Clement 12 and is decorated with various sculptures by the Bernini school. Guests of the city and tourists who had a chance to enjoy the contemplation of the fountain come to an indescribable delight. The composition has a very impressive size - 20 m wide and 26 m high, it occupies almost the entire area on which it is located.

virgin waters

Water comes from the purest springs, located 13 km from Rome, through aqueduct, which has been operating since the 1st century BC. The Trevi Fountain was erected in front of the magnificent Palazzo Poli. The majestic facade of the palace and the luxurious splendor of the fountain adjacent to it closely create a stunning picture.

The overall composition is devoted to the marine theme: a mythical hero in the form of Neptune on a chariot made in the form of a sea shell and harnessed by seahorses and newts. The central niche of the building located behind him gives the impression that the master of the ocean entered through it. Ringing streams of water flow gracefully over the rest of the sculptures and violently breaking off, falling on the stones, creating the sound of the sea surf. In the niches located on the sides of Neptune, there are allegorical figures, and on top - bas-reliefs.

One of them depicts a girl pointing the Roman soldiers to a source, or rather an aqueduct, which is the supplier of water for such a grandiose structure.

Ocean Lord accepts gifts

The square is visited daily by thousands of guests and tourists to see this miracle of architecture and one of the most famous sights of Italy. Some simply enjoy the fountain and the taste of its purest spring water, but others believe in a legend that says that by throwing a coin into it and wishing to come back here again, the wish comes true. Weekly cleaning of the fountain brings in an amount, sometimes reaching 10-11 thousand dollars, which are donated to charity.

At one time, the composer Ottorino Respighi said that the fountains of Rome are his melodic voices, and the majestic Trevi is the unsurpassed soloist of the capital.

The address: Piazza di Trevi, 00187 Roma RM, Italy

How to get there:

by bus No. 51, 52, 53, 62, 63, 71, 80, 83, 85 get to the stop L.go Chigi;
Metro get to Spagna station.

After examining this sculptural ensemble, you can proceed to get acquainted with the historical complex in Rome - The Baths of Caracalla, built back in the 3rd century AD by Emperor Septimius Bassian Caracalla.

Trevi Fountain on the map of Rome

One of the most famous and melodic sights of Rome is the Trevi Fountain. The irresistible sound and beauty of this building inspired Italian composers to create their musical works.

Creation of the Trevi Fountain

The fountain was built in 1762 by the architect Nicolò Salvi during the reign of Pope Clement 12 and decorated with various sculptures of the Bernini school..." />

The Trevi Fountain (Fontana di Trevi) is considered to be a true pearl among hundreds of springs in Rome. A large-scale and spectacular attraction is more reminiscent of a scene from an ancient play, made in stone, rather than a source of clean water. good location and incredible beauty The fountain attracts hundreds of visitors to the capital of Italy every day.

The Trevi Fountain was built in Rome in the 18th century, but the prehistory of its appearance looks so entertaining that it simply cannot be forgotten. Emperor (lat. Octavianus Augustus) and his colleague Mark Vipsanius Agrippa (lat. Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa) in the 20s BC started a large-scale reorganization in Rome. Among the numerous reforms, Marcus Agrippa proposed to the emperor to provide the capital with clean drinking water.

The Roman tribune Agrippa put a lot of effort into cleaning the city sewerage and building a water supply system. The newly built aqueduct received the romantic name Aqua Virgo (lat. Aqua Virgo) - "Water of the Maiden". Its waters covered a distance of 12 kilometers in order to fill the bowls of the ancient Romans with pristine water.

Until the beginning of the 17th century, it was possible to quench your thirst in Trevi Square (Piazza di Trevi) from a modest spring flowing into a stone bowl. Pope Urban III decided to decorate the center of the capital with more imposing architecture. One of the greatest baroque masters of Italy - (Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini) took up the development of a sketch of a new fountain.

Construction

Bernini completed the original design of the fountain, but the death of Urban III interrupted all work.

With the onset of 1700, the sketches saw the light again, and Bernini's student Carlo Fontana began to work on them. Inheriting the baroque ideas of his teacher, Fontana framed them in a more restrained classical style. The architect enhanced the imagery of the original project by placing a powerful sculpture of Neptune and his servants at the head of the fountain.

Fontana died in 1714 and the construction of the building again stalled. Pope Clement XII announced a competition for the position of chief architect. In the course of a heated struggle between sixteen eminent architectural engineers of the 18th century, Nicola Salvi won. The winner was given a double task. On the one hand, he had to create something grandiose and impressive, and on the other hand, he had to organically fit his project into the architectural appearance of Trevi Square.

Modern look

Looking at Trevi Square, a modern person will surely perceive the Poli Palace (Palazzo Poli) and the fountain as a single architectural ensemble. Nicola Silvi did an excellent job with all the tasks. Well, besides, under the guidance of the architect, amazingly beautiful sculptures filled with many images were created.

The construction of the fountain took as much as 30 years: from 1732 to 1762. During this time, against the backdrop of the baroque palazzo of an Italian nobleman, a scene from the life of the lord of the depths arose. The embodied ocean, powerful and strict, breaks out from under the water veil on a chariot drawn by sea horses and newts.

The architect incredibly vividly managed to convey movement in stone, the desire to reach the surface of the water. Involuntarily, with bated breath, you wait for the water cavalcade to continue its movement forward with noise.

Statue of the sea god - personifies water, which for so many centuries has brought its life-giving coolness to Rome. Behind the left shoulder of Neptune, in the niche of the facade of the palace of Poli, there is a statue of the goddess of Health. On the right, she is accompanied by the goddess of abundance. Both stone ladies modestly and with dignity meet crowds of visitors eager to look at main fountain in Rome.

Guests of the capital of Italy flock to to admire the breathtaking views. In addition, tourists perform an obligatory ritual - they turn their backs to the source and throw a coin over their shoulder. They say that by throwing a metal coin at the feet of the goddesses, you can count on their favor.

Most often, travelers pissed off by the beauty of the fountain throw a few coins at the bottom of the source: for happiness, in the hope of meeting their soul mate and, of course, to visit Italy and Rome again!

Fountain name

Regarding the name of the picturesque source, there are several versions of its origin. The most common opinion is that three major streets of Rome converge at Trevi Square. Latin experts claim that the Italian "trevi" actually comes from a corruption of the Latin "trivium", that is, "three ways". The second legend says that a young maiden named Trivia managed to tell the builders of the ancient aqueduct the place where the key with drinking water lies.

Often, Russian-speaking tourists hesitate before asking for the fountain's address. How to put emphasis correctly: Trevi or maybe Trevi? original inhabitants Italy will correct the unlucky tourist with a smile: “Of course, it is correct to pronounce Trevi,” putting the emphasis on the first syllable.

The Trevi Fountain is the record holder among its counterparts throughout Italy. Its width reaches 20 meters, and the height in the center is 26 meters!

In addition to its impressive size, the man-made reservoir can be proud of its proximity to an old mansion. At one time, Palazzo Poli was chosen by the Russian nobility. In particular, Princess Zinaida Alexandrovna Volkonskaya rented the second floor of the palace in the 30s of the 19th century. She was visited at this address in Italy: Nikolai Gogol, the Bryullovs, Fyodor Bruni, Mikhail Pogodin and other representatives of the art world.

Being one of the most popular places in Rome, the Trevi Fountain can often be seen on postcards, photographs and videos. The fountain played its most striking role in the film La Dolce Vita directed by the director.

The symbol of Italian cinema (Marcello Mastroianni) and the world-weary blonde Anita Ekberg (Swedish. Anita Ekberg), played a really hot scene in the icy water of the January di Trevi.

Director William Wyler also used the fountain to shoot Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck against the backdrop of the various beauties of Italy. The rebellious macho (Adriano Celentano) showed Rome in all its glory to an overseas princess (Ornella Muti) in the film Madly in Love (Innamorato pazzo). Not the last place in this excursion was taken by the fountain in Trevi Square.

Reconstruction

Since June 2014, the fountain has been officially closed, and reconstruction has begun on Trevi Square. The reason for this was the general decay of stone structures, daily undermined by water and the influx of tourists. Especially since the previous restoration of the attraction took place 125 years ago! The alarm bell sounded in 2012 when the magnificent sculptures began to lose their parts and needed emergency repairs.

By the way, every day the guests of Rome threw about one and a half thousand euros into the blue waters of di Trevi! Which is a good income, bringing in more than a million euros a year.

Nevertheless, the fashion house was interested in the restoration of the famous fountain. According to preliminary estimates, the amount needed to restore the art monument is 2 million 200 thousand euros!

Enterprising Italians decided not to deprive tourists of the opportunity to admire the grandiose Roman curiosity, despite the fact that the restoration is in full swing. The fountain was draped with transparent screens made of durable material. Everyone will be able to walk through special scaffolding built over the source bowl. Of course, it will not be possible to fully enjoy this corner of Rome, but all the inconveniences are a matter of time.

The reconstruction was expected to be completed by autumn 2015, but as of October, the fountain is still without water. We hope to open in the New Year.

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Trevi Fountain (Rome) - the most detailed information about Trevi, history, Interesting Facts, photo, video and map location.

Trevi Fountain (Rome)

The Trevi Fountain is the most famous, largest and most beautiful fountain Rome. In general, the most - the most of the many fountains of the capital of Italy. Hiding in a small square, always full of noisy tourists, the fountain impresses with its baroque shapes and sizes. Trevi is one of the symbols and main attractions of Rome along with the Forum and the Colosseum.

Story

The fountain was designed by the famous architect Nicolo Salvi in the Baroque style. The construction of Trevi lasted for 30 years from 1732 to 1762. The dimensions of the fountain are also amazing - 25.9 meters high and 19.8 meters wide. The productivity of the fountain is about 80 thousand cubic meters per day.

Description

Trevi adjoins the facade of the Palazzo Poli and creates a single architectural composition with it. In the center of the fountain is an almost 6-meter marble statue of Neptune riding on a sea shell, which is pulled by newts and sea horses - hippocampus. One horse is calm, the other shows its temper. To the left and right of Neptune are allegorical statues. The statue on the left symbolizes Abundance. Above it is a bas-relief depicting Agrippa commanding the construction of an aqueduct. The statue on the right is Health. Above it is a bas-relief in which a young girl points to the soldiers at the source of water.

There is a belief that if you throw one coin in Trevi - you will come to Rome again, two - you will meet love, three - for a wedding, four - you will become rich, five - to separation. Interestingly, thanks to tourists, more than half a million euros worth of coins are caught from the fountain. All proceeds go to charity.
To the right of the fountain are the tubes of lovers. Couples who drink water from them will live happily until old age.
The Trevi Fountain feeds one of the ancient aqueducts - Aqua Virgo. This aqueduct was built in 19 BC. Trevi is located at the end point of this ancient aqueduct.
Trevi is located at the junction of three streets. From here it got its name.
At first, Alessandro Galilei won the competition for the construction of the fountain, but since he was from Florence, the project, after the indignation of the inhabitants, was given to the Roman Salvi. Salvi did not live 11 years to complete his grandiose creation.
Trevi is built from travertine, which is also used to build the Colosseum.
In 2007, Trevi turned red. Some vandal threw dye into the fountain.

Now Trevi, after a long overhaul, shines again with its splendor!

Video - Trevi Fountain

November 8, 2018

Great Rome never ceases to amaze: its architecture is amazingly diverse, its streets are full of true works of art, and the energy of the city is so strong that it can fill the hearts with spontaneous joy and violent delight. What is it worth see the Trevi Fountain! The grandiosely solemn ensemble in the Baroque style has become a real symbol of the city, recognizable and inimitable. Thousands of tourists come here to toss a few coins and dream of returning to the Eternal City as soon as possible. This masterpiece of street architecture remains popular in the film industry as well. Films such as La Dolce Vita starring Marcello Mastroianni, Madly in Love with Adriano Celentano and Ornella Muti, Roman Holiday starring the beautiful Audrey Hepburn and many others were filmed near the Trevi Fountain in Rome.

Trevi Fountain in Rome

History of the main Roman fountain

The history of the fountain begins with the reconstruction of one of the oldest aqueducts in Rome - Acqua Vergine, built under Emperor Augustus in the 1st century BC. to provide water for the thermae on the Champ de Mars, built in the same historical period.
At the end point of the conduit, located at the intersection of three streets (in Latin trivium), in the Middle Ages a fountain was built with three baths, into which water was poured from three holes. In the middle of the 15th century, by order of Pope Nicholas V, Leon Battista Alberti replaced the existing tanks with one large rectangular one, attaching a wall to it, on which he installed restored decorative elements in the form of masks from which water poured.

In the first half of the 17th century, Pope Urban VIII commissioned Gian Lorenzo Bernini to develop a project for the transformation of the Trevi Fountain in Rome and the square adjacent to it. The famous architect created a stunning monumental ensemble, which was approved by the pontiff and even began to be built. The work on the implementation of this project was financed by ordinary citizens, but far from their will. Urban VIII Barberini, a passionate admirer of art, introduced a new tax on wine to realize his grandiose idea. After some time, the proceeds ran out, and besides, a new military conflict unfolded. As a result, the construction of the new fountain was suspended.

Trevi Fountain in Rome. Detail

After the death of Pope Urban VIII in 1644, the Trevi improvement project was finally abandoned. This happened not so much because of a lack of funds, but because of the desire to suppress the memory of the pontiff, who became famous for excessive wastefulness and thereby earned public indignation. The new Pope from the Pamphili family, known as Innocent X, ordered Bernini only to extend the aqueduct to Piazza Navona, where Francesco Borromini - new architect Holy See and the main competitor of Bernini - had to build luxurious fountain in front of the family palace of the pontiff.
Not a single decade passed before the Trevi Fountain gained modern look. Only at the beginning of the 18th century did they actively engage in the idea of developing a suitable project. At the Academy of St. Luke - a creative union of artists - a competition was organized, in which not only Italian, but also foreign masters took part. The winning entry was Nicola Salvi, based on an idea by Lorenzo Bernini and Urban VIII.

Trevi Fountain. Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Construction work began in 1732 during the pontificate of Clement XII and was completed 30 years later. Neither Nicola Salvi, nor the sculptor who worked with him, nor the Pope saw the finished Trevi Fountain, which became the largest in Rome and one of the most famous in the whole world.

Roman Trevi Fountain in the film industry

The popularity of the Trevi Fountain began to grow after the release of the American film "Three Coins in the Fountain" in 1954 directed by Jean Negulesco, and "La Dolce Vita" by Federico Fellini gave the world the most famous scene featuring this masterpiece of architecture.

Rodnikov according to the system, which was built in the 1st century. BC. during the reign of Octavian Augustus. The idea to provide the capital of the empire with drinking water was brilliantly embodied by the tribune Mark Vispasius Agrippa. Up to the eighteenth century. in the square in front of the Poli Palace, a passer-by could drink from a small spring flowing into an inconspicuous stone bowl.

Many are convinced that the idea of building a fountain belongs to Pope Nicholas V, whose brow was adorned with a tiara in the middle of the 15th century. This is only partly true. The order given then to the architect Alberti was never put into practice.

The Italians returned to the practical implementation of the idea more than 200 years later. Pope Urban VIII decided to decorate the square in front of the Poli Palace and entrusted the task to the famous architect Lorenzo Bernini, who developed the initial project. The death of the pontiff in 1644 caused a pause, work resumed in 1700. It fell to his student, Carlo Fontana, to refine the ideas of the master. He, following the plan of the mentor, enriched the sculptural group with the figures of Neptune and his servants. In 1714 the artist died, and the ensemble again remained unfinished. Fortunately, not for long. Clement XII announced a competition among architects, in which 16 masters took part. The victory went to Nicolo Salvi, and the master brilliantly coped with a difficult task: he created a magnificent composition with many heroes, harmoniously linking its style with the architectural features of the Poli Palace. Among the sculptors who built the Trevi Fountain, it would be fair to mention two people: Filippo della Valle and Pietro Bracci. It was they who completed most of the figures that make up the composition.

The implementation of the grandiose idea took a long time - the monumental ensemble was built for 30 years, from 1732 to 1762.

Composition of the Trevi Fountain

The Trevi Fountain is the largest on the Apennine Peninsula. Its width is about 50 meters, and the main character, the majestic Neptune, reaches a height of 26 meters. The basis of the composition is the figure of the sea god, appearing from the depths on a chariot in the form of a shell, into which sea horses (hippocampus) and newts are harnessed. Under the feet of the heroes, water flows, its streams break from the stone steps and make noise, reminiscent of the sounds of the surf. It seems that Neptune is about to continue its journey through the churning sea. In the niches on both sides of the formidable husband are figures of the Roman goddesses of Health (left) and Abundance (right). These statues are the first to meet tourists who flock to the square. The composition is decorated with various allegorical figures and bas-reliefs.

Why is the fountain so named? Two versions seem the most plausible. According to the first, "trevi" is a distorted Latin "trivium", "three-way", and it is on this square that three large Roman streets converge. The second is more romantic: the ensemble is named after the beautiful Trivia. According to legend, that was the name of the girl who showed the Roman legionnaires the way to the purest spring. Her figure can be found among the sculptures of the ensemble.

It seems incredible, but the water in the Trevi Fountain is still supplied through the pipes of the aqueduct built more than two thousand years ago, known as Aqua Virgo (“Virgin's water”). The annual flow rate is about 80,000 m³.

The legend says that the local water is not only healing, but also has magical properties: it can give people happiness in love and marriage. To do this, you must perform the following ritual: turn your back to the fountain and throw three coins in turn with your right hand over your left shoulder. The first of them is a guarantee that you will definitely return to the Eternal City, the second will bring you together with the love of your life in the near future, the third will make the marital union strong and durable. Came to the square with your soulmate? Then you should go to the right side of the Trevi Fountain. There you can find small “tubes of lovers”, jets from which beat towards each other. By taking a few sips of this water, you will make your bonds unbreakable.

In the XVIII-XIX centuries. to achieve happiness, it was enough just to scoop a full glass from the source and drink it. The tradition of throwing coins appeared relatively recently, in the middle of the last century. Its appearance is associated with the release of the film by J. Negulesco "Three Coins in the Fountain". Wishing to receive happiness in personal life so in a simple way was so great that the caretakers literally fell off their feet, getting from the bottom every day great amount little things. It got to the point that in 1991 it was simply forbidden to throw money into the Trevi Fountain. True, not for long. In addition to the desire to resume the tradition, the authorities were also guided by an economic background - the number of coins taken from the bottom gives an amount exceeding 1 million euros per year. This money goes to a special charity fund.

In 2004, the architectural masterpiece was chosen as a symbol of the elections to the European Parliament. During voting days, a ballot box and the flag of the European Union were placed near the bowl of the fountain.

Since the composition is located at the very walls of the Palazzo Poli, a tourist, especially from our region, will be interested to know that the second floor of the palace was once rented by the Russian princess Volkonskaya. It was here that Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol read his "Inspector General" to her.

The Trevi Fountain has long been an important "hero" of Italian cinema. It was he who was involved as a scenery in the love scene of Marcello Mastroianni and Anita Ekberg in Federico Fellini's film La Dolce Vita. Here, demonstrating the beauties of Rome, the hero of Adriano Celentano brings Princess Ornella Muti in the film Madly in Love.

Video: Collecting coins in the Trevi Fountain

What tourists should know

Many people ask which syllable should be stressed in the word "Trevi"? A real Italian can have only one answer - of course, the first one. Such a sign of respect for the owners of the city will be duly appreciated by temperamental Italians.

The fountain is available to tourists around the clock throughout the year for free. In the evening and at night, the original lighting gives a special flavor to this amazing place.

It is never deserted here. But if you want a slightly more relaxed atmosphere, then it is better to come at dawn or late in the evening. However, if you find yourself in this place at sunset or even on a hot afternoon, you will also be delighted with the splendor of what you saw.

In order not to get into an unpleasant situation, remember - swimming in the fountain or trying to get coins out of it is strictly prohibited. You will be fined quite a large amount - at least 200 euros. Eating and drinking in the immediate vicinity of the sculptures is also prohibited.

After admiring the Trevi Fountain, you can visit the Museum of Graphics and Design, which is located right there - in the building of the Poli Palace. From the windows you can enjoy a view of the square and sculptures from a height of several floors.

Within walking distance is the Basilica of Saints Vincenzo and Anastasio. It contains fragments of the hearts of twenty-two popes, which were removed before embalming.

The Academy of St. Luke is also interesting for tourists, the history of which goes back to the middle of the 16th century. It is located in the very close Palazzo Carpegna.

How to get there

The fountain is located on the square of the same name (Piazzo di Trevi). The easiest way to get here is to take the subway. Take line A and get off at either Spagna or Barberini. Further - on foot. In the first case, take Via Vittoria, turn onto Via del Corso and then onto Via delle Muratte. From the Barberini station, take Via Tritone and then turn left onto Via Poli. A few steps - and in front of you is the majestic famous Trevi Fountain.