The Trevi fountain is located in the Piazza di Trevi in Rome, Italy and in 1629 Pope Urban VIII commissioned Gian Lorenzo Bernini to renovate the fountain. This was stopped after the death of the pope and construction initially began a century later, in 1732, however the architect Nicola Salvi passed away in 1751 with half of the fountain finished therefore architect Giuseppe Pannini finished the fountain in 1762. Historically, the sculpture was at a junction of three roads and marked the location of the ‘Aqua Virgo’ which was an aqueduct supplying water to ancient Rome in 19 BC.

The fountain depicts Oceanus, the god of water surrounded on either side by Abundance and Salubrity. Atop the fountain sits the Papal Coat of Arms, suspended by angels. In terms of superstition, the film ‘Three coins in a fountain’ created the myth of throwing one coin into the fountain guarantees a second trip to Rome, one coins guarantees love and three guarantees marriage!

The fountain has also been famously featured in films such as Roman Holiday (1953) and La Dolce Vita (1960.)