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Master Anglo-American Studies, 2nd year of study

Ana-Maria Drozd University of Craiova

The Trevi fountain

If you are an admirer of fountains you should definitely start with Rome's largest Baroque fountain and also highly regarded as the most beautiful and stunning fountains in the world. The Trevi Fountain, called the Fontana di Trevi in Italian, tops the list of the most famous fountains in Rome and is one of Rome's top free attractions. During my trip to Rome in December 2012, Fontana di Trevi impressed me very much more probability because the legend says that whoever throws a coin into the pond will return to Rome. I definitely enjoyed my vacation to Rome and I hope that I will be back there very soon. In this essay I tried to make o presentation of Trevi fountain starting from the very beginning of the building up to the present curiosities and traditions such as throwing a coin into the fountain of drinking water from it.

The history of Trevi fountain


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The Trevi fountain is an imposing fountain that served as a display of an ancient roman aqueduct termination. The aqueduct is the Virgo - Virgin in English - Aqueduct constructed by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa around 19 BC. Agrippa was the son-in-law and the favorite general of Emperor Octavian Augustus. The aqueduct was 21 km long but 19 were underground and it was built by Agrippa to supply the thermal baths he built in Campus Martius, by the Pantheon. There was a fountain at the end of the aqueduct already then. The display spilling water was located on the site of the actual Church of St. Ignatius. According to Sextus Iulius Frontinus' specialised book "De aquaductibus Romae commentarius", the aqueduct takes its name from a virgin lady that the Roman soldiers met when they were thirsty and tired. She led them to a source of water to restore. That source was in the Ager Locullanus, the land between the Tiburtina road and the Collatina road, two of the many roads that led to Rome. That source still today supplies the aqueduct. In the 4th century there were in Rome 1352 fountains (Notitia dignitatum imperii Romani). The aqueduct was damaged by the invasion of the Ostrogoths led by king Vitigis in 537. After the barbaric invasions the last portion of the aqueduct was abandoned and all the medieval restorations did not continue further than the trivium crossing. Starting from the early renaissance the popes start to decorate the end of the aqueducts they restored with large fountains that were richly decorated. One of the oldest representations of the fountain is in a fresco by Taddeo di Bartolo in Siena dating to 1412. Subsequently, Sixtus IV restored a large portion of the pipes. Still today you can see in Via del nazareno a door with the Pope's Crest that leads to the Acqueduct arches underground. Pius IV commissioned to Jacopo Della Porta the building of a new fountain and the restoration of the pipes up to the original ancient source. The project was completed in 1570 by Pius V. The fountain was now in the square where it is today but had a different orientation. It was were the farmacy is now and was facing west. Pope Urbanus VIII decided to change the orientation of the fountain so it would be possible to see it from the Papal Palace on the Quirinal Hill. The project was designed by Bernini but was never completed due to lack of funds. In 1730 Pope Clemens XII established a contest to design a new fountain. Many important architects participated including Luigi Vanvitelli, Nicola Salvi, Pietro Bracci, Giambattista Maini, Edme Bouchardon, Lambert-Sigisbert (Adam the Elder), Ferdinando Fuga,
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and Giambattista Contini. All the projects where exhibited in the Papal Palace on the Quirinal Hill. Against all the odds Nicola Salvi won the contest. His project was the least expensive as the Pope Clemens wrote in one of his documents: "other models made by other professors were excluded and were more expensive (Papal Chirographum, October 2nd 1732). The Pope also approved the financing of the work costing 17.647 scudo (Papal States currency). These funds were provided by the third extraction of the Lotto game in May 1732. In 1735 the fountain was not yet completed, but the aged, hernia ached Pope wanted to inaugurate the fountain that year as the inscription shows at top of the monument. In 1736 the Papal Crest supported by two winged Fames and four female allegorical statues were placed on the attic. Clemens XII died in 1740. The new Pope Benedict XIV continued the work of his predecessor and in August 1743 the first water finally spilled from the fountain. Nicola Salvi died in 1751 and Giuseppe Pannini was appointed director of the project. He was the son of famous painter Giampaolo Pannini. In 1758 Clemens XIII was elected Pope. He substituted the the stucco reliefs of Agrippa and the Virgin with two new ones in marble. During the period 1759-62 Pietro Bracci, following Salvi's design, carved the marble composition of Ocean's Tryumph. On Sunday May 22 1762, Clemens XIII officially completed and inaugurated the new Trevi Fountain. The population of Rome at that time was around 160.000 people.

The description of the fountain


The fountain is 26,30 m high (85.28 feet, 118 roman palms), 49,15 large (160.72 feet, 220 roman palms). Every day it spills 80.000 cubic meter of water (2,824,800 cubic feet). The design of the Trevi fountain is based on three architectural elements: a faade made of travertine; statues of Carrara marble; a see reef also made of travertine. In the middle there is the statue of Ocean, 5,8 meters high (16.4 feet high) carved by Pietro Bracci. The body is muscular inclining to fatness. He has long and abundant beard. His look is fiercely majestic and gentleman at the same time. In his right hand he hold the wand in act of command. His left hand holds a cloth around his pelvis to cover his nudity. The statue of Ocean is carried on his triumphal chariot by two horses jockeyed by two Tritons. One horse is restless, one is calm. One triton is strong and young; one is older and holds
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a twisted shell that is using to announce their passage. Ocean is also standing in the median portion of a triumphal arch. In the left part of the arch there is the statue of Abundance holding the horn of plenty. At her feet a toppled vase lies by a source of water. Above her there is a relief showing Agrippa commanding his generals to build the aqueduct. In the right portion there is the statue of Health, crowned by a wreath of laurel and holding a cup a snake drinks from. Above her there is a relief showing a Virgin lady indicating to soldiers the source of water. The four allegorical statues located on the attic were carved by Agostino Corsini, Bernardino Ludovisi, Francesco Queirolo and Bartolomeo Pincellotti. They represent the good effects of rain on Earth fertility and the four major produces that depend on water supply. The first statue on the left holds the horn of plenty and is symbol of the Abundance of fruits. The second one is holding ears of wheat and represents Fertility of Crops. The third one is holding a cup and bunches of grapes symbolizing the Products of Autumn. The last on portraits the Joy of Prairies and Gardens and is all adorned with flowers. The inscription on the attic says: CLEMENS XII PONT. MAX. AQUAM VIRGINEM COPIA ET SALUBRITATE COMMENDATAM CULTO MAGNIFICO ORNAVIT ANNO DOMINI MDCCXXXV PONT VI. Translation: Clemens XII Pontifex Maximus decorated the Virgin Acqueduct and committed it with abundance and salubrity to the magnific cult in the Year of the Lord 1735, 6th year of his pontificate. The inscription just below says: PERFECIT BENEDICTUS XIV PONT. MAX. Translation: Benedict XIV Pontifex Maximus made perfect. The other inscription behind the statues of Abundance, Health and Ocean says: POSITIS SIGNIS ET ANAGLIPHIS TABULIS IUSSU CLEMENTIS XIII PONT. MAX. OPUS CUM OMNI CULTU ABSOLUTUM A. D. MDCCLXII. Translation: The statues and the reliefs were decreed to be placed here by Clemens XIII Pontifex Maximus and the work was solved from every further work and care in the Year of the Lord 1762. The decorations of the fountain also feature around 30 species of plants located where the environment is more suitable to them. There is a wild fig rooted in the top balustrade; a capper is hanging on the Poli Palace faade cornering with Piazza dei Crociferi; a bush of mulleins; four ivy shoots; a prickly pear cactus; marsh marigold and lake reeds; an oak stump below the statue of health; an artichoke; a vine with four bunches of grapes; a taro floating on water; a fig hiding
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below the jar; a cymbal aria on the right side facing via della stamperia; a group of evergreen plans by the end of the travertine rocks. There are also some animals: a snail lies on the marsh marigold and a lizard is hiding in a ravine of the walls. On the right side of the sea cliff there is the Coat of Arms of Monsignor Gian Galeazzo Caracciolo, President of the fountain project for some years. It features a lion and the particular type of hat of Papal Court prelates.

Iconography
The most accepted explanation for the word Trevi is that it derives for the Latin word Trivium that indicates a crossing of three streets. The Roman Goddes Trivia, epithet of Diana, the greek Hecate, was protecting the streets and often her statue featuring three heads was standing at the crossings. The three streets of Trevi are Via De' Crocicchi, Via Poli and Via Delle Muratte. The main statue of the fountain does not represent Neptune, but Ocean. In fact, Neptune has often a triton in his hands and a dolphin following him. Instead, as its designer Nicola Salvi wrote, the statue is an image of Ocean, the personification of an immense river that flows around the earth and from which all streams of water derive. Ocean was the son of Sky and Vesta. From his union with Thetis rivers and sources of water were born. The beard of Ocean is symbol of wisdom and power. The wand is short and thick, similar to the ones held by Roman emperors portrayed in many ancient coins. The restless horse represents the violent strength of the sea. The clam horse is instead symbol of tranquility of the sea. The statue of Abundance holds the symbol of plenty, a horn filled with fruits and produce. Health is crowned with wreath of laurel, Apollo's plant. Apollo was the the father of Aesculapius, god of Medicine. Health (Salus in Latin, Hygieia in greek) was the daughter of Aesculapius. She was the goddess of health, cleanliness and sanitation. Her name is the source of the word "hygiene". Statues of Hygieia were created by Scopas, Bryaxis and Timotheus, among others, but there is no clear description of what they looked like. Hygieia was often depicted as a

young woman feeding a large snake that was wrapped around her body or drinking from a jar that she carried. The two statues of Fames flanking the Papal Crest on the Attic are symbol of future recognition of the Pope that restored the fountain for the people utility. In Roman mythology fame is personification of public acclaim and usually was portraited with a trumpet in her hand. When she has two trumpets, one served to announce fabrications, the other one truth. Triton is a Greek god, the messenger of the sea. He is the son of Neptune, god of the sea, and Amphitrite, whose herald he is. He is usually represented as a merman, having the upper body of a human and the tail of a fish. Like his father, he carried a trident. However, Triton's special attribute was a twisted conch shell, on which he blew like a trumpet to calm or raise the waves. Its sound was so terrible, that when loudly blown, it put the giants to flight, who imagined it to be the roar of a mighty wild beast.

Curiosities
Many men were injured and few died during the construction of the fountain. In 1734 a stone-cutter was crushed by a large block of travertine. In 1736 a mason fell from the roof and died. In 1740 an apprentice slipped on the Travertine and passed away after many head lesions. The fountain is mostly built of travertine stone. The name of this stone derives from the Latin adjective tiburtinus, which means from Tibur, the actual city of Tivoli, about 22 miles (35 kilometers) East of Rome. The stone is a mineral consisting of a massive usually layered calcium carbonate formed by deposition from spring waters or especially from hot springs. Travertine was often used as a building material. The largest building in the world constructed mostly of travertine is the Colosseum in Rome. Other notable buildings using travertine extensively include the Sacr-Cur Basilica in Paris and the Getty Center in Los Angeles, California. The travertine used in the Getty Center construction was imported from the same querries in Tivoli that supplied the stone for the Trevi Fountain. The famous rite of throwing a coin in the fountain has two main explanations. First, the Ancient romans used often to throw coins in fountains, rivers or lakes to make the Gods of water

favor their journey and help them go back home safely. Second, this tradition has been invented to raise funds for the maintenance of the fountain.

Coin throwing

Another legend says that not only who throws a coin, but also who drinks the water of the fountain can be sure to come back to Roma. This was the theme of 1954's Three Coins in the Fountain and the Academy Award-winning song by that name which introduced the picture. An estimated 3,000 euros are thrown into the fountain each day. The money has been used to subsidize a supermarket for Rome's needy; however, there are regular attempts to steal coins from the fountain. Today the water of the fountain is recycled but you can still drink from the cast iron pipes located on the steps. Emprees Charlotte of Austria, wife of Emperor Maximillian celebrated the rite using a precious cup donated by Pope Pius IX.

In popular culture
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Once upon a time when a lad had to leave Rome was brought by his fiance to the fountain and made drink the water with a brand new cup. After the rite they broke the cup to symbolize the indissolubility of their love. The Trevi fountain is featured in Respighi's symphonic pictures Fontane di Roma, and was the setting for an iconic scene in Federico Fellini's film La Dolce Vita starring Anita Ekberg and Marcello Mastroianni. The fountain was turned off and draped in black in honor of Mastroianni after the actor's death in 1996. The fountain is used for some scenes in the 1953 film Roman Holiday, starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck. The fountain is also featured in the film "Gidget Goes to Rome". Part of the fountain is replicated at the Italy Pavilion at Epcot in Walt Disney World, United States.

Bibliography: Pinto, John A. (1986). The Trevi Fountain. New Haven: Yale University Press. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trevi_Fountain http://www.aviewoncities.com/rome/trevi.htm

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