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10 Fascinating Fun Facts About the Trevi Fountain: Discover the Secrets of This Iconic Parisian Landmark

illustration of the-trevi-fountain
Get ready to dive into a splash of captivating trivia as we unveil some truly intriguing and entertaining fun facts about the iconic Trevi Fountain!

1. Splash of Fortune

While tossing a coin into the Trevi Fountain might sound like an ancient Roman version of "making it rain" at a nightclub, think again: it actually helps to fund a market for the underprivileged, accumulating around 1,250,000 euros ($1.5 million) every year that's used to provide food and support for the local community – talk about a literal splash of good fortune!
Source => getours.com

2. Mer-mazing Deities

It's almost mer-mazing! What some might think as a throwback to "The Little Mermaid," are actually two misunderstood ladies chillin' with Neptune at the Trevi Fountain: Abundance and Salubrity are actually Roman deities, with the former pouring water from her urn and the latter offering a snake a drink from a cup.
Source => hellenicaworld.com

3. Neptune's Piggy Bank

Rumor has it that Neptune, god of the sea, started the world's first piggy bank in the depths of the Trevi Fountain: Approximately €3,000 are tossed into Rome's famous work of aquatic art daily by wishful visitors. Far from being mythical hoard, these gleaming tokens are collected nightly and donated to Caritas, an Italian charity that supports local families in acquiring groceries and necessities. So when in Rome, fling a coin – it's for a good cause!
Source => walksofitaly.com

4. Coin Toss Tradition

Toss a coin to your fountain, oh tourists of plenty, and the Eternal City shall beckon you back to its historic embrace: Throwing a coin into Rome's Trevi Fountain ensures your return to the Italian capital, while also supporting the Catholic charity Caritas as over 3,000 euros are collected every day during peak seasons, according to Rome's tourism board.
Source => cnn.com

Aqua-wareness Shopping

5. Aqua-wareness Shopping

Who said shopping can't be educational? Strolling through Rome's Rinascente shopping complex can offer some ancient aqua-wareness: The Trevi Fountain is indirectly connected to the old Aqua Virgo aqueduct, a marvel of engineering that supplied water to ancient Roman baths of Agrippa and many parts of the city, mostly running underground and only briefly visible in the shopping complex area.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

6. Ekberg's Fall from the Fountain

Oh, how the mighty have fallen – from the fountain, that is!: Anita Ekberg, the siren of Federico Fellini's "La Dolce Vita," who famously frolicked in the Trevi Fountain, later faced financial hardships and sought assistance from the Fellini Foundation while residing in a nursing home outside Rome in 2011.
Source => news.artnet.com

7. Jackpot Splash

When in Rome, hit the jackpot with a splash: Around 3,000 euros worth of coins are tossed into the Trevi Fountain daily by hopeful visitors seeking love and a return trip, with the collection donated to charities like Caritas and the Red Cross.
Source => tripsavvy.com

8. Navigating with Mythical Sculptures

Who needs a GPS when you've got sea horses and Tritons to lead the way: The Trevi Fountain's sculptures like Filippo della Valle's sea horses, and Tritons blowing into shells represent the seafaring power in Roman mythology, while the four allegorical figures tucked away in the niches symbolize aspects of the seasons such as Abundance and Fertility clutching their respective cornucopia and basket of flowers.
Source => contexttravel.com

9. Liquid Assets for Charity

They say money doesn't grow on trees, but one fountain in Rome proves there's some liquid assets in its waters: an impressive sum of over €1 million in coins is tossed into the Trevi Fountain each year, which are then collected by the Catholic charity, Caritas, and put to good use for social welfare projects like soup kitchens and homeless shelters for the city's less fortunate inhabitants.
Source => goodnewsnetwork.org

Love Potion Spout

10. Love Potion Spout

Talk about a love potion: The Trevi Fountain has a secret spout for couples to sip from, promising eternal love and fidelity. Known as the Fountain of Lovers, this small spout on the right-hand side stems from an ancient Roman tradition involving a girl dubbed "aqua virgo" and soldiers partaking in a ritual of drinking water from a glass never used before, which would then be shattered to ensure everlasting love and remembrance of Rome.
Source => italyrometour.com

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