The Fontana di Trevi, scene of Anita Ekberg's dip in La Dolce Vita, is a flamboyant baroque ensemble of mythical figures, and wild horses. It takes up the entire side of the 17th-century Palazzo Poli. A Fendi-sponsored restoration finished in 2015, and the fountain now gleams brighter than it has for years.
The tradition is to toss a coin into the water, thus ensuring that you'll return to Rome.
On average about €3000 is thrown in every day. The fountain's design, the work of Nicola Salvi in 1732, depicts sea-god Oceanus's chariot being led by Tritons with seahorses – one wild, one docile – representing the moods of the sea. In the niche to the left of Neptune a statue represents Abundance; to the right is Salubrity. The water comes from the aqua virgo, a 1st-century-BC underground aqueduct, and the name Trevi refers to the tre vie (three roads) that converge at the fountain.
The fountain gets very busy during the day, so it's worth trying to visit later in the evening when you can appreciate its foaming majesty without such great hordes.
