PHOTO | "This is desperate, I'm not giving you the money!": Trevi Fountain turned into messy pool, Rome tourists disappointed
Legend has it: "If you throw a coin into the Trevi Fountain, you will surely return to Rome." Tossing coins into the fountain is a mandatory part of most tourist visits to Rome, and the numbers bear this out. According to some sources, about 3.000 euros or more than a million euros a year are thrown into the fountain every day.
But tourists visiting Rome these days are quite disappointed. Instead of the lavish 18th century fountain, you have to throw the coin into the makeshift pool that was set up while the fountain was being renovated, it says "travel suitcase".
The makeshift pool looks messy
The famous fountain is undergoing an extensive renovation ahead of the great religious jubilee in 2025.
While the fountain is empty, tourists are allowed to throw coins into the temporary rectangular pool. The new makeshift pool, with its simple construction with plastic elements, appears untidy and unadorned, which for some visitors contrasts with the beauty of the baroque masterpiece.
This daily causes complaints and dissatisfaction among tourists, who, judging by the photos, still put in coins so that the city budget is not taken away from them.
The renovation of the fountain is part of a wider project to rebuild Rome, which is busy preparing for next year's Catholic Jubilee, an event held every 25 years. This religious event, which will begin on Christmas Eve 2024 and last until the beginning of 2026, will attract to Rome about 35 million pilgrims seeking forgiveness and spiritual renewal.
The Trevi Fountain is the most famous fountain in the world
The Trevi Fountain is probably the most famous fountain in the world and one of the most important landmarks of the capital of Italy.
Historians believe that its name comes from the Latin word "trivium", which means three streets. The literal translation of the name would be "fountain of three streets", which makes sense as it really stands where three different roads meet.
There are more than 2.000 fountains in Rome, but this one is the largest and most luxurious. It is the work of the Italian sculptor and architect Nicola Salvi. It is 26,3 meters high and 49,15 meters wide, and it attracts attention with its incredible beauty and baroque decorations and monuments.
