Rome’s Fountains

Most great cities have beautiful fountains, but in Rome they are a living part of the city. Italian poets have immortalized them in verse. One of Italy’s major composers, Ottorino Respighi, enshrined them in two richly descriptive symphonic poems. Books about Rome’s fountains published in Italian, French and English have contributed to their fame. The best known is Niccolo Salvi’s 18th-century Fountain of Trevi. It is a tradition for visitors to cast small coins into its churning waters, allegedly to ensure their eventual return to Rome – for Christians, and for others, to ensure that their dreams come true. The most imaginative fountain is probably Bernini’s Fountain of the Four Rivers. Another by Bernini is the graceful Fountain of the Triton on the Piazza Barberini. In the Piazza della Repubblica is the colossal Fountain of the Naiads. Its charming beauties wrestle with seaborne monsters. The Fountain of the Barcaccia in the Piazza di Spagna was designed like a leaking boat by Bernini’s father, Pietro. One of the pleasures of a visit to Rome is a night tour of the city’s numerous illuminated fountains.