Here’s why people throw coins into the Trevi Fountain

A trip to Rome isn’t complete without a stop at the Trevi Fountain, especially if you hope to return to the Eternal City in the future. What’s the story behind Rome’s most famous fountain and how did the enduring tradition of tossing coins into the Trevi Fountain come to be?

Trevi Fountain or Fontana di Trevi in front of Palazzo Poli was named for its location at the junction of three (tre) major roads (vie) in Rome. The fountain dates back to 19 B.C. and is a mostra (showpiece) that marks the end points of the Virgin Aqueduct, the last remaining aqueduct that continues to provide fresh water to Rome’s many nasoni or drinking fountains around the city, as well as other decorative fountains in Piazza Popolo and the Pantheon.

By the 17th century, there were several attempts to redesign the fountain with plans and sketches credited to renowned Italian architects including the likes of Gian Lorenzo Bernini and Pietro da Cortona. However, the Trevi Fountain in its current form was the result of a competition launched by Pope Clement XII in 1732 to find an architect to design this masterpiece as a gift to the city of Rome.

The fountain design was awarded to a Roman architect named Nicola Salvi who unfortunately never got to see its completion as he died in 1951. The project was continued by his friend Pietro Bacci, also the artist responsible for sculpting the main figure of Oceanus.

The Trevi Fountain is Rome’s largest fountain at 85 feet high and 160 feet wide and is of a Baroque style with a theme “Taming of the waters”. It consists of a large basin of water with a cliff face that features Oceanus, the Titan god of water, flanked by the personifications of Abundance and Health. Agrippa, who ordered the building of the aqueduct, is also featured alongside the virgin girl for whom the aqueduct is named for—the story goes that she was the one who showed thirsty Roman soldiers the source of this aqueduct.

Today, the Trevi Fountain is one of Rome’s most iconic tourist attractions and sees crowds snapping photos around it throughout the day. The fountain has also featured in many movies, the most memorable being the 1960s movie La Dolce Vita by Federico Fellini which had the actress Anita Ekberg frolicking in the fountain while wearing a long black evening gown in the middle of the night. Don’t do this—you’ll get into big trouble if you try to recreate this scene, so make sure to stay out of the fountain.

The tradition behind tossing coins into the Trevi Fountain comes from an ancient Roman practice of tossing a coin into a river or ocean to ensure that the gods who ruled these bodies of water will grant you safe passage.

The Trevi Fountain coin throwing tradition involves standing with your back to the fountain and using your right hand to toss a coin over your left shoulder. This will apparently ensure good luck and that you will return to Rome in the future. If you have another two coins on hand, throwing the second coin into the Trevi Fountain will let you meet the love of your life, while the third coin will have wedding bells ringing.

This tradition is the main plot of Three Coins in the Fountain, a 1954 American romance film about three women wishing for love as they toss their coins into the Trevi Fountain. Even the world leaders attending the G20 summit in Rome in 2021 were spotted tossing commemorative 1 euro coins into the Trevi Fountain.

The coins in the Trevi Fountain have to be cleared daily because of the sheer amount being tossed in. On average, around 3,000 euros worth of coins are collected in a day–that’s over 1 million euros every year! Naturally, this has attracted some enterprising characters looking for an easy score, but be warned that there have been many attempts to steal these coins in the past and the fountain is closely monitored today.

The good news is that all the money thrown into the fountain goes to a Catholic charity called Caritas Roma that supports the needy in Rome.

Trevi Fountain is located in Piazza di Trevi, and can be ticked off your Rome bucket list and visited alongside other Roman tourist attractions like the Spanish Steps and the Pantheon in the Centro Storico district. Consider getting an expert guide as there’s a lot of history to cover.

As one of the best photo spots in Rome, the fountain is crowded most of the day. For lesser tourist crowds, try to make your way there as early in the morning as possible. You might want to pop by again around sunset or in the evening to see the fountain all lit up in the darkness and with fewer people milling around.

More like this: