 Fontana di Trevi The Fontana di Trevi was commissioned by Pope Clement XII (r. 1730-40) and designed by Nicola Salvi (1697-1751). The project dragged on for 30 years (1732-1762) and was finally completed after Salvi's death by Giuseppe Pannini (1720-1812). The fountain was partly funded by a tax on wine, which led one wag to quip: ‘He taxed our wine to give us water!’. The focal point of the fountain is the statue of Oceanus by the Roman sculptor Pietro Bracci (1700-73). The god stands on a shell-shaped chariot, which is being drawn by two sea-horses led by a pair of tritons, also the work of Bracci. Oceanus is flanked by statues of Abundance and Health, the work of the Florentine sculptor Filippo della Valle (1698-1768). The statues are surmounted by two reliefs: Agrippa Approves the Design of the Aqueduct by G.B. Grossi and A Young Woman Indicates the Spring to Some Soldiers by Andrea Bergondi. The Trevi is more than just a fountain; it is what is known as a mostra terminale, a display point marking the arrival of an aqueduct into the city, in this case the restored Acqua Vergine Antica (Aqua Virgo in Latin). The aqueduct was originally constructed in 19 BCE by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa (63-12 BCE), the right-hand man of the emperor Augustus, to supply water to his recently constructed set of baths near the Pantheon. The aqueduct drew water from the springs at Salone, which lies 9 miles/15 km from Rome. The fountain is crowned with the coat of arms of Pope Clement XII. The inscription proclaims: 'CLEMENS XII PON MAX AQVAM VIRGINEM COPIA ET SALVBRITATE COMMENDATAM CVLTV MAGNIFICO ORNAVIT ANNO DOMINI MDCCXXXV PONTIF VI' ('Clement XII, Pontifex Maximus, embellished with splendid refinement the Acqua Virgo, esteemed for its abundance and wholesomeness, in the year of the Lord 1735, the sixth of his pontificate.' There are two additional inscriptions: 'PERFECIT BENEDICTVS XIV PON MAX' and 'POSITIS SIGNIS ET ANAGLIPHIS TABVLIS IVSSV CLEMENTIS XIII PON MAX OPVS CVM OMNI CVLTV ABSOLVTVM A DOM MDCCLXII' ('The statues and the reliefs were decreed to be placed here by Clement XIII Pontifex Maximus and the work was solved from every further work and care in the year of the Lord 1762'). When the Trevi Fountain was unveiled on May 22nd, 1762, it instantly became one of the marvels of Rome. The backdrop to the fountain is the 16th century Palazzo Poli, which was reworked in the 18th century by Luigi Vanvitelli (1700-73), an erstwhile pupil of Nicola Salvi. The practise of throwing coins into the fountain dates back to the 19th century. The Trevi Fountain has played a starring role in many films, most notably in Fellini's La Dolce Vita (1960). In one of the movie's most famous scenes, Anita Ekberg takes a midnight dip in the fountain, soon to be joined by Marcello Mastroianni. Following the death of the great Italian actor, on December 19th, 1996, the fountain was temporarily turned off and draped in black.  Coat of arms & inscription of Pope Clement XII  Oceanus is flanked by statues of Abundance and Health  Two Tritons & and their Horses  'Agrippa Approves the Design of the Aqueduct', relief by G.B. Grossi  A Young Woman Indicates the Spring to Some Soldiers', relief by Andrea Bergondi  Coat of arms of Pope Clement XII  The Trevi Fountain at night  Marcello Mastroianni & Anita Ekberg in a scene from Fellini's La Dolce Vita Comments are closed.
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My name is David Lown and I am an art historian from Cambridge, England. Since 2001 I have lived in Italy, where I run private and
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September 2021
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