“Just the fountains are enough to justify a trip to Rome”
So wrote Percy Shelley, a writer of the romantic period who, during his brief yet intense life, fell in love with Italy, especially with the fountains of Rome.
Among all the monuments to visit on your must-see list, have you ever wondered which are the most beautiful fountains in Rome?
The origins of Rome’s relationship with water are lost in the mists of time: the Romans however, were famous for the system of aqueducts that they created to bring the precious clean water to its citizens. Since then, the fountains, nasoni (water spouts), springs, and wells are too many to count.
You can spend entire days exploring the famous fountains of Rome, finding out the curious stories behind each one. Some are majestic and impressive like the Trevi Fountain, while others can be found in more out of the way spots. The fountain tour gives you the opportunity to experience the city from a different perspective.
The Trevi Fountain
Let’s start with what is probably the most famous one between the fountains of Rome, if you’ll allow us to say with just a tiny pinch of pride, in the world: the Trevi Fountain.
More than just a fountain, it is a veritable composition of architecture and talent. Standing 26 high and 20 meters wide, it is one of the main attractions of the capital. Its name comes precisely from the place where it stands imposingly, the confluence of three streets, “tre vie” in Italian, from which comes “Trevi”. Its late baroque style makes it unique in its genre. The fountain is present in the collective imagination of each of us thanks to the Fellini masterpiece, “La Dolce Vita”. The design for the Trevi Fountain was originally created by Nicola Salvi and Giuseppe Pannini but the influences of Bernini are easily recognized.
There are many stories told about the fountain, some even involve the thousands of tourists who fill Piazza di Trevi every day. Tradition has it that it’s good luck to stand with your back to the fountain with your right hand resting on your left shoulder and toss a coin into the fountain’s water. They say it brings good luck in finding love, and what more romantic place than the eternal city to do that?
In any case, the coins tossed into the fountain are counted and then donated to the Italian charitable entity called Caritas, and seeing as the daily total can reach the sum of €3,000 euros a day, that’s the kind of tourism we like!
Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi and Fontana della Barcaccia
In our article on the great beauty of Rome, we have already discussed the various stories and legends regarding the first of these two works, both created by Bernini, the Fountain of the Four Rivers located in Piazza Navona. However, a visit to see it in person is a must, especially at Christmas when the Piazza is filled with the warmth of the holidays.
The Barcaccia, in its magical setting of Piazza di Spagna, was also an unconventional design for the time when it was conceived, because it was treated as an actual sculpture rather than as a fountain. Its shape was likely inspired by a boat that had been washed up as far as the Trinità dei Monti by the Tiber river. The fountain has become famous in the news for being the victim of repeated vandal attacks over the last 20 years, but it resists, sitting proudly in the center of one of the most evocative piazzas in the world that you can visit by choosing one of the trips to Rome proposed by Dragonfly Tours.
The Fountain of the Lions
Continuing your walk through the center of Rome, from the Barcaccia in Piazza di Spagna at the Spanish Steps, towards Piazza del Popolo, you will find the “Fontana dei Leoni” the Fountain of the Lions, designed by the architect Giuseppe Valadier and built in the early 1800s. The fountain sits in the center of the Piazza del Popolo, once the main entryway from the north into the city. Four lions in the Egyptian style surround the Flaminio Obelisk, that was brought to Rome in the year 10 by Augusto Imperatore. By the way, did you know that Rome is the city with the largest number of obelisks in the world? Just one more reason to come and discover its treasures.
The Fountain of the Turtles
Not everyone is familiar with the romantic atmosphere that you breathe in the Sant’Angelo district when you look at the centerpiece of Piazza Mattei, the “Fontana delle Tartarughe”. Built in the 16th century, they say that it hides a love story: a young man with a gambling habit lost everything one evening, and as well as losing all his money he also lost the hand of the woman he loved as the girl’s father did not want his daughter to marry a penniless young man. The young man of the story was one of the Mattei dukes, and in a single night, he built a fountain of such beauty that he convinced his future father-in-law of his abilities. The young couple lived happily ever after. Legends aside, Bernini seems to have had a hand in the designing of the Fountain of the Turtles as well: he was the creator of the symbol that gives the fountain its name, the turtles, inserted posthumously throughout the whole fountain. The original turtles are on exhibit in the Capitoline Museums.
Every bubbling fountain of Rome has its own story to tell, it’s up to you to decide, with the help of our specialized team, which fantastic tales you want to hear.