It seems as though its name derives from a popular name that was common in the middle of the 12th century (Trivii), or from the three water outlets of the original fountain (because treviii derives from Latin meaning three). Commissioned by Pope Urban VIII in 1640,on occasion of the expansion of the square, the Tuscan architect and sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini designed a new fountain oriented towards the present, whose construction is limited to an exedra base with a frontal basin, attached onto the buildings in the square, encased onto Palazzo Poli. The construction phase of the Trevi Fountain was carried out by Pope Clement XII, who in 1732 opened a contest for the construction of the great water monument, in which many great artists participated. Among the various projects presented, the pope chose the architect Nicola Salvi, who took Pope Urban VII and Bernini’s idea, which was that of narrating a story through sculpture architecture. They told the story of L’acqua Vergine, the ancient Roman aqueduct built by the Roman architect and politician, Agrippa. The construction was then completed by Giuseppe Pannini, who partially modified the rock by regulating the central basins.
How could we forget that the Trevi Fountain, as the setting was the protagonist of the memorable scene in the famous Fellini film, La Dolce Vita, in which the provocative Anita Ekberg, jumps into the waters of the fountain, wrapped in a black dress, calling out to Marcello Mastroianni. While on your visit, before walking away, do not forget to throw a coin in if you want to return to Rome again, if you are in search of love, perhaps Italian love, then throw in two coins, and to be sure that you’ll tie the knot soon, legend says you should throw in three coins!
