We know that the Trevi Fountain is already high on your list of things to see and do in Rome. 

You can get to the Trevi Fountain by train easily: whether or not you’re arriving at Roma Termini, the main train station in Rome, hop on the Orange (A) metro line and head to the Barberini stop. The trip should be just the right amount of time for you to read about these fun facts and history of the Trevi Fountain. 

Image Credit: Getty Images, Marco Cristofori. Image Location: Rome, Italy

How much time do you need for the Trevi Fountain? 

How much time you need for the Trevi Fountain depends on what you want to do. If you’re lucky, in about 7 to 17 minutes, you can make your way through the crowd, take an obligatory barrage of photos, then stand and admire the fountain’s details before you start getting paranoid about all of those pickpocket stories you’ve heard about. 

Expect to spend at least 30 minutes lingering around the fountain if you’re living in the moment and know that pickpockets are a risk in any major outdoor tourist spot. Spend a little more time if you’re recreating scenes from your favorite movies filmed in Rome, like The Lizzie McGuire Movie or Roman Holiday. 

What are you supposed to do at the Trevi Fountain? 

Your visit to the Trevi Fountain should always include the coin toss. But don’t go flicking your penny any old way — you must first turn your back to the Trevi Fountain. Then, put your coin in your left hand and toss it over your left shoulder. Make your wish (and, if the legend is true, start planning your next visit to Rome). 

🚆Trainline Tip: What are you not supposed to do at the Trevi Fountain? Don’t drink the water! It’s recycled on a 24 hour cycle so don’t go dunking your fingers in it either. 

Do you need tickets to see the Trevi Fountain? 

No, you don’t need tickets to see the Trevi Fountain. It’s an outdoor work of art and working fountain. You will have to supply your own coin to toss, but other than that, it’s a free attraction. They haven’t hung the sign yet, but if they did, it would  read nessun rimborso (no refunds).

Image Credit: Getty Images, Frank Fell. Image Location: Rome, Italy

What time is best to see Trevi Fountain? 

If there’s one (Palatine) hill that we’ll die on, it’s that you must wake up early when visiting Rome. Get up when the sun does and you’ll likely have the Trevi Fountain all to yourself. And, if you’re out late — like ghost-tours-are-over late — you could walk by the Trevi Fountain and likely get a crowd-free photo op, too. 

What is so special about the Trevi Fountain? 

The Trevi Fountain is, like the Eternal City itself, a symbol of endurance and evolution. This site has seen a fountain on it since ancient Roman times. The designs for the Trevi Fountain drew inspiration from at least three men in two different centuries. The waters of the fountain, once derived from the aqueduct, are now recycled. The legend of the Trevi Fountain’s wish-granting powers continues to inspire generation after generation to visit this landmark of Rome.  

When was the Trevi Fountain built and why? 

The Trevi Fountain was built to replace the original fountain that Pope Urban VIII was disappointed with. The fountain was designed as a working fountain that the Roman people actually drank water from, thanks to the city’s aqueducts. But this is the 1600-1700s we’re talking about, so no way were they going to put a porcelain bowl in its place. Hence, the Trevi Fountain was designed as just as stunning of a sculpture as you’d find anywhere in Baroque Rome. 

Image Credit: Getty Images, rado84. Image Location: Rome, Italy

5 fun facts about the Trevi Fountain 

If you already know that the main center statue on the Trevi Fountain is Oceanus, not Neptune, then we’ve got five other Trevi Fountain trivia facts you’ll love. 

  1. Pope Clement XII organized a competition to choose a designer for the Trevi Fountain. The winner was Alessandro Galilei, an architect from Florence (and also a relative of Galileo), but the Roman people didn’t want a Florentine person to design the fountain — so Nicola Salvi got the nod instead.

  2. The coins tossed into the Trevi Fountain generate an annual sum of €1.5 million. The money is collected by the local government and given to charity.

  3. The relief sculptures above the Oceanus statue tell the story of how Marcus Agrippa was shown a new water source by a mysterious girl. The Romans then built an aqueduct to bring this water into Rome. 

  4. The Trevi Fountain and Colosseum are both made of the same material: travertine stone.

  5. The Aqua Virgo aqueduct ends beneath the Trevi Fountain. You can actually purchase tickets and tour the archaeological site, though most tourists don’t know about this literal hidden gem.

How much did the Trevi Fountain cost to build?

One figure estimates that the cost to build the Trevi Fountain was around 177,000 Roman scudi. It’s difficult to pin down just how much that amounts to in today’s currency, but the Trevi Fountain did undergo a restoration in 2015 which cost $2.4 million dollars. So we’re going to assume that 177,000 scudi was a solid pay day, even if it took 30 years to finish. 

How long did it take to finish the Trevi Fountain? 

From a construction standpoint, the Trevi Fountain took around 30 years to finish. Nicola Salvi was asked to design it in 1732, but he died in 1751 before it was finished. Then, Giuseppe Pannini got his hands on it — and took a few artistic liberties — as he oversaw its completion in 1762. It took 133 years to complete. Pope Urban VIII hired Bernini in 1629 to design a new fountain, but he died in 1644 and the project was put on ice until the 1700s.

What does Trevi mean in Italian? 

The word “Trevi” in Trevi Fountain’s meaning comes from a combination of two words: Tre means three, and vie (or via) means road or way. The site of the Trevi Fountain is where three roads meet; thus, Fontana di Trevi is the “fountain of the three roads”. 

Image Credit: Getty Images, EnginKorkmaz. Image Location: Rome, Italy

Who are the figures in the Trevi Fountain? 

It makes all too much sense that the Trevi Fountain, since it is built at the junction of “three roads”, would have three main statues. Oceanus stands in the center; the goddess Abundance stands to his left; and Agrippa is above her. Salubritas is to Oceanus’s right with the virgin maiden sculpture above her. 

What is behind the Trevi Fountain? 

The Trevi Fountain is such an iconic sight thanks in part to the Palazzo Poli acting as its backdrop. The Poli Palace replaced Palazzo Del Monte in the 1500s and was sold to the Duke of Poli’s wife in the 1600s. It changed hands over the centuries, housing everyone from the Roman poet G.G. Belli to Princess Zenaide Wolkonsky, before becoming the site of the Central Institute for Graphics. 

🚆Trainline Tip: Translating Italian isn’t always facile, especially when you’re taking the train through Italy. Use this guide to help you decode train station boards.

Why do you throw coins into the Trevi Fountain?

The Trevi Fountain isn’t an ordinary fountain. While your little water spout at the mall may or may not grant you a wish, legend says the Trevi Fountain will twist your fate in one of three ways: toss a single coin and you’ll return to Rome again one day; throw in two to find romance in Rome; and finally, chuck in three coins to meet then marry an Italian in Rome.

Let us help you return to Rome by train. Download the Trainline app and we’ll get you train tickets to Rome for as close to pocket change as possible. With Italy’s extensive train network, you can control your own fate and take a day trip to Rome from other remarkable Italian cities like Positano, Florence, and Milan.

Want to cross off more off your bucket list while on your Roman holiday? Check out more of our guides to roaming Rome: 

Header Image Credit: Getty Images, Chan Srithaweeporn. Image Location: Rome, Italy

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