On 22 May 1762, Rome’s Trevi Fountain was officially inaugurated by Pope Clement XIII. Today it is perhaps the most famous fountain in the world. It has appeared in many films, most notably in Federico Fellini’s 1960 classic La Dolce Vita.
According to tradition, visitors should toss three coins over their left shoulder into the fountain. The first coin suggests that you will return to the city, the second that you will find a new romance, and the third that you will be married.
Trevi Fountain attracts so many tourists that an estimated 3,000 euros are collected from the fountain at the end of each day. In a typical year, the city collects about $1.5 million from the fountain waters, which it has used to help feed the local poor. Other locals have been attempting to steal from the fountain for many years, using homemade devices like modified fishing poles, but the Italian government has since made it illegal to do so.
The fountain’s massive design — standing 86 feet high and just over 160 feet wide — was 30 years in the making. The design was originally proposed by local poet-architect Nicola Salvi, but Salvi died before the project could be completed and it was taken over by other sculptors.
The site of Trevi Fountain marks the terminal point of an ancient Roman aqueduct, the Acqua Vergine, which still provides drinking water to Rome and supplies the water for the fountain.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trevi_Fountain
The fountain is back in the news this week as a site for climate activism.