Fontana di Trevi

The Trevi Fountain, approximately 40 meters wide, is one of the largest monumental fountains of the Baroque style in Rome. It is located in the rione di Trevi, according to the current administrative division of the center of Rome.

The name of the fountain comes from the rione of Trevi, whose origin is not known with certainty, but it is speculated that it could derive from the Latin term "trivium", referring to the convergence of three streets in Piazza dei Crociferi, near Piazza di Trevi. From the 12th century, the area was called Regio Trivii in allusion to this intersection of streets or possibly to the triple water outlet of the original fountain.

In 1625, Pope Urban VIII considered that the existing fountain lacked originality and monumentality, so he commissioned Gian Lorenzo Bernini to draw up possible renovations. However, the project was abandoned due to the pope's death and the associated high costs. Bernini's contribution consisted of changing the location of the fountain to the other side of the square. There is also an earlier model made by Pietro da Cortona, which is in the Albertina Museum in Vienna.

In 1730, Pope Clement XII organized a competition for the construction of the fountain, which was eventually won by Alessandro Galilei. However, there was controversy in Rome about a Florentine architect taking charge of the project, so it was finally Nicola Salvi who began the work in 1732.

Salvi died in 1751 with the work half finished, but before his death, he placed an amphora-shaped statue in front of the business of a pharmacist (also known as a barber) to avoid his constant criticism and obstruct his view of the progress of the work. The Romans noticed similarities between the vase-shaped sculpture and a playing card, so they renamed it the "ace of cups."

After Salvi's death, Pietro Bracci continued the project. The sculpture of Oceanus, the work of Bracci, was placed in the central niche, while the statues of Abundance and Healthiness, sculpted by Filippo della Valle, occupied the side niches. Giovanni Pannini completed the fountain in 1762, replacing the allegories with flat sculptures of Agrippa and Trivia.

The Fontana di Trevi is located on the rear facade of Palazzo Poli and has a structure similar to a triumphal arch with a deep niche. It is decorated with a giant order of Corinthian pilasters connecting the two floors. The main theme of the project is the domestication of water, which extends forward mixing water and carved rock until it fills the small square. Two tritons guide a chariot in the shape of an Ocean shell, controlling seahorses. In the center is a robustly sculpted triumphal arch, and the central niche framing Oceanus has freestanding columns to create light and shadow effects. In the niches flanking Ocean, Abundance pours water from her urn, and Salubrity holds a cup from which a serpent drinks. In addition, there are bas-reliefs illustrating the Roman origin of the aqueducts. The tritons and hippocampi provide a symmetrical balance in the composition.

Article obtained from Wikipedia article Wikipedia in his version of 05/09/2023, by various authors under the license Licencia de Documentación Libre GNU.

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