The name: Trevi and the trivium
The name "Trevi" derives from the Latin trivium — the meeting point of three roads. The fountain was historically situated at the junction of three routes leading to the centre of Rome. An alternative explanation links the name to the medieval Roman dialect phrase for "three roads."
The neighbourhood took its name from the fountain, or vice versa — in any case, the area has been known as "Trevi" since the Middle Ages.
The Acqua Virgo: the ancient foundation (19 BC)
Before any monumental fountain existed, there was the aqueduct.
In 19 BC, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa — general and son-in-law of Augustus — commissioned a new aqueduct to supply his baths in the Campus Martius. The aqueduct was named the Acqua Virgo because of a legend: a young virgin was said to have shown Roman soldiers the spring's source, in the countryside east of Rome.
The Acqua Virgo is the only original Roman aqueduct still operating in Rome. It runs almost entirely underground (unlike the arch-carried aqueducts), enters the city from the Villa Borghese area, and terminates at the Rione Trevi. Its mostra — the monumental terminal where the aqueduct discharged — was a simpler structure than today's fountain. But everything that followed derived from that terminal.
The Middle Ages and early Renaissance
After the fall of the Roman Empire, the aqueduct fell into disuse for several centuries, as did almost all Roman hydraulic infrastructure. It was restored in the fifteenth century under Pope Nicholas V.
For the repair of the Acqua Virgo, Nicholas V commissioned Leon Battista Alberti — one of the most important architectural theorists of the Renaissance — to build a new terminal fountain. Alberti's fountain (1453) was a simple structure, without the spectacular scale of the eighteenth century. It served primarily as a public watering trough.
The eighteenth century: Clement XII and the 1730 competition
In 1730, Pope Clement XII (born Lorenzo Corsini) decided to replace the modest Renaissance fountain with a monument worthy of Rome's historic centre. He held a design competition.
The competition: several prominent architects took part. According to tradition (not always confirmed by sources), the famous architect Alessandro Galilei was among the finalists but was excluded as a Florentine to avoid local controversy.
The winner: Nicola Salvi (1697–1751), Roman architect. His design was selected in 1732.
Nicola Salvi and the construction (1732–1762)
Nicola Salvi began work in 1732. The project was ambitious: not just a fountain but a monumental scenography that merged with the Palazzo Poli behind it (a seventeenth-century building belonging to the Poli family), using the palace façade as a theatrical backdrop.
The triumphal system
Salvi's central idea was a triumphal arch — not isolated, but integrated into the palace architecture. At the centre of the arch stands the dominant figure of Neptune (or Oceanus) on a shell-chariot drawn by two seahorses.
The two Tritons flanking Neptune each guide a horse: one is calm (calm sea), the other restive (rough sea). It is a narrative duality sculpted in marble.
The artificial rock
The most striking scenographic element is the artificial cliff — a mass of travertine and tufa that serves as a naturalistic pedestal for Neptune. It is not real rock: it is an architectural construction that simulates nature.
Beneath the cliff, water emerges from artificial cavities and cascades, giving the impression that the fountain springs directly from the rock.
The posthumous completion
Nicola Salvi died in 1751, before completing the work. Construction was carried to completion by architect Giuseppe Pannini (son of the painter Giovanni Paolo Pannini), and the fountain was inaugurated on 22 May 1762 by Pope Clement XIII.
The sculptures: iconography and authors
The sculptures of the fountain were not all by Salvi:
- Neptune/Oceanus (central group): attributed to Pietro Bracci (1762). The most visually powerful work.
- Abundance and Health (lateral niches): by Filippo della Valle (1762).
- Reliefs above the niches: Agrippa approving the aqueduct plans (left) and the virgin showing soldiers the spring (right) — two scenes telling the story of the Acqua Virgo.
Restorations
Over the centuries the fountain has undergone several restorations:
- Minor restorations in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries
- The most recent and important restoration: 2015–2016, sponsored by Fendi for €2.18 million. The fountain was drained, cleaned, consolidated, and relit. During the works, the basin was filled with coins recovered from previous clean-ups — a spectacle in itself.
Dimensions and records
The Trevi Fountain is the largest Baroque fountain in Rome:
- Width: 49.15 metres
- Height: 26.3 metres
- Water: approximately 80,000 cubic metres per day
It is still fed by the Acqua Virgo — Agrippa's aqueduct of 19 BC. The continuity between ancient and modern is physical, not metaphorical: the water that falls into the basin today travels through the same aqueduct it has used for 2,000 years.
Visit the Trevi Fountain with a private driver
The Trevi Fountain lies entirely within the restricted traffic zone of Rome's historic centre. Private cars cannot approach it.
Visit the Trevi Fountain with a private driver: direct, comfortable arrival with no traffic or parking concerns. Service from €49. → Book your driver at myromedriver.com
Frequently asked questions
Who designed the Trevi Fountain? Nicola Salvi, a Roman architect, won the competition in 1732 and began construction. He died in 1751 before completion; the fountain was finished by Giuseppe Pannini and inaugurated in 1762.
Why is it called "Trevi"? From the Latin trivium — the meeting point of three roads. The fountain was historically at the junction of three routes.
What is the water source of the Trevi Fountain? The Acqua Virgo aqueduct, built by Agrippa in 19 BC. It is still active and still supplies the Trevi Fountain today.
When was the current Trevi Fountain inaugurated? On 22 May 1762, by Pope Clement XIII. Work had begun in 1732.
Who is the central figure of the fountain? Neptune (sometimes identified as Oceanus), sculpted by Pietro Bracci in 1762.
Article no. 81 — TIER S — MON-05 Trevi Fountain Type: HISTORICAL Words: ~1,200