The Trevi Fountain is a majestic sculpture created by the prolific artist, Bernini. It features Oceanus, the Greek river god, as he tames seahorses. The fountain is always surrounded by admiring viewers, regardless of the weather or time of day (or night). Where there are tourists sporting their fanny packs and flashy cameras, there are also vendors. They are selling colorful postcards, buzzing rocks, cheaply made magnets, and whenever there is a chance of rain in the near future, umbrellas. The superstitious toss coins into the fountain, one if they hope for a return trip to Rome, two if they are looking for a new romance, and three if they would like a marriage or divorce. It is said to be good luck to throw the coins from the right hand over the left shoulder. On average, over 3,000 euros worth of coins are thrown into the fountain each day and are used to subsidize a supermarket for people in need of food in Rome.
Directly across from the fountain is a little gem of a church called the Church of Saint Vicenzo and Anastacio that most tourists do not even notice. I found it unimpressive both on the outside and inside compared to many of Rome’s other magnificent churches, until I found out that it houses the hearts (called praecordia) of 40 popes, including Sixtus V and Leo XIII. Like many other places in Rome, I found this fascinatingly contradictory that such a holy place for the Catholics of Rome holding such important relics was located only within a few meters of a busy tourist hub. Many of the people who frequent this piazza are completely oblivious to the importance of the building behind them as they marvel at the beautiful marble fountain in front of them.
Only a few hundred meters away is the busy Via del Tritone, which leads to the Piazza Barberini. Below this piazza is one of the main metro stations in Rome, and it is also home to two fountains created by Bernini. The Triton Fountain is of a muscular merman on a shell with dolphins swimming below, and supposedly, it has the same luck as the Trevi Fountain, meaning that any tourist throwing a coin into the fountain will be granted a return trip to Rome. The Fontana delle Api is much less impressive artistically, but was built by Bernini as a water trough for horses coming through the area. Until the 18th century, the piazza was where unknown corpses would be displayed for the public to identify. The Palazzo Barberini, which currently hosts the Galeria Nazionale de Arte Antica is a little bit east of the piazza. It is home to the famous Raphael painting of the female baker, and also has beautiful gardens behind. It is a classic example of the competition between Bernini and Borromini, and like usual, Bernini wins out in the end and gets to finish and receive credit for the work.
Down the Via del Quattro Fontane is a very scenic and historic intersection. From this point, you can see 3 Egyptian obelisks, as well as the 4 fountains that overlook the dangerous intersection. They were commissioned by Pope Sixtus V just before 1600, but the artists are unknown. The fountains are of the River Tiber which is the symbol of Rome, the River Arno which is the symbol of Florence, the Goddess Diana which is the symbol of Chastity, and the Goddess Juno, which is the symbol of strength. Next to these fountains are the churches Saint Carlo alla Quattro Fontane which was designed by Borromini, and Saint Andrea al Quririnale which was built by Bernini. The juxtaposition of the styles of these two churches is perfect for comparing the differences between the two artists. Saint Carlo is a fairly simple church using lots of white and undulating walls, where as Saint Andrea is elaborate and colorful, with a very short distance between the entrance and the high altar. It is fascinating to think that these two churches that so skillfully contrast the differences between the two prolific and competitive artists are so close to one another, they are basically right next door.
Quirinale Hill, the tallest of the seven hills in Rome, houses the President of Italy, Giorgio Napolitano, as well as the Italian Constitutional Court. The Quirinale Palace was built in the 14th century as a summer home for the pope. In 1870, when the papal state was overthrown, the palace became the official royal residence of the kings of Italy, but some including Vittorio Emmanuel chose to live elsewhere. Currently it is the home of the president, and the flags above indicate whether or not the president is currently away. Italy has both a President and a Prime Minister (Berlusconi), but the President plays mainly a ceremonial role in the Italian government to represent national unity. Behind the palace are the lush Quirinale gardens, which are unfortunately not open to the public except for once a year on June 2nd to celebrate the days that Italians chose a republican form of government.
In the middle of the piazza, there is a massive obelisk and statue of the mythical twins Castor and Pollux. The 18 foot tall sculptures are Roman replicas of Greek originals from the 5th century B.C., but have been erected in the piazza for the past 450 years. The Palazzo della Consulta is the building that currently holds the Italian Constitutional Court. It consists of 15 judges, 1/3 are appointed by the president, 1/3 are appointed by parliament, and the rest by ordinary and administrative supreme courts. This court only decides the constitutionality of laws, and there is no appeal process. The Palazzo Pallavicini-Rospigliosi was commissioned by the Borghese family and was used as a stable for Quirinale Palace, but unfortunately it destroyed the remains of the Baths of Constantine. Now it is used as a gallery, and it currently holds a large compilation of works by Carvaggio.
There is no way to pinpoint the character of the neighborhood as a whole. It is so incredibly diverse, filled with historical churches and art, very little graffiti, a political center, an important tourist center, and busy urban streets. Every street corner has a bit of a different aura, most of the people that you come in contact with will have a unique story and personality. Trevi is definitely a neighborhood to visit on a short vacation, or one to frequent during a longer stay. I personally enjoyed becoming familiar with the neighborhood, and I feel that I was able make observations beside the magnificence of the Trevi Fountain by spending time exploring and relaxing in the neighborhood.
Fun Facts About Trevi:
· Michelangelo lived in Trevi for a while, and was buried in the Santi Apostoli church in this neighborhood before his body was moved to Florence.
· The rione used to be home to a large pasta factory, but it had to shut down a few years ago.
· The coat of arms consists of 3 swords, which corresponds to the three roads that meet in the Piazza del Crociferi near the Trevi fountain
· The police who protect the area are a special branch of the Caribinieri called to Corrazzieri. In order to join this branch, one must be at least 6’3”.
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