A legend about love is also linked to the Trevi Fountain
It is said that until recently, girls used to make their boyfriends drink the water from the fountain, which is located right next to the famous monument, before they left: the young women filled a glass never used before, the men they drank and then the glass had to be broken to make sure they didn’t lose love.
When water was still drawn from the fountain to drink (and the Trevi water, which today is used only for irrigation and to feed the fountains, was considered among the best in Rome, not to be calcareous) the girls made them drink a glass to the boyfriend who was leaving, a glass which they then shattered as a sign of good wishes and fidelity.
In this way the engaged couple would be faithful and on their return they would go straight back into the arms of the loved one.
This habit has its roots in an anecdote from Ancient Rome, when the soldiers of Agrippa’s army in 19 DC. returning to the city by now exhausted, following a girl’s instructions, they quenched their thirst at the fountain of Salone, which was 20 km away from where the water flows today. From this circumstance the source is also called virgin water, from the combination of the two terms aqua and virgo, the girl. Subsequently Agrippa made with an aqueduct he brought the water to the point where the monument currently stands.
As Turismo Roma reports, not everyone knows that on the outer right side of the fountain there is a rectangular basin with two small spouts: the fountain of lovers. Couples who drink from this fountain will remain in love and faithful forever.
A simple ritual that, in the past, took place at the departure of the fiancé, especially when the distance, such as during military service, was prolonged over time.
The evening before the farewell, the two young people went to the fountain; the girl filled a glass never used before and offered it to her lover. The glass must have been broken. In this way, the girl was sure not to lose her loved one.
An explanation: according to tradition, those who sipped Trevi water while remembering Rome forever would have continued to remember the lover who remained in the city.
The Trevi Fountain is one of the capital’s most famous monuments abroad. The fountain, built in front of Palazzo Poli, occupies the whole square that was built precisely for its construction when several buildings were demolished. It is one of the most significant examples of the Baroque style in Rome, but it is above all one of the places where tourists most love to be photographed. Especially in the act of the famous toss of the coin. The rite is used to wish a return to the city. If one day you go to Rome, when your back is to the fountain, throw a coin backwards, and don’t turn around until it has fallen.
The Trevi Fountain is the largest and one of the most famous fountains in Rome.
The most famous tradition linked to the Trevi Fountain is certainly the traditional throwing of a coin into the tub.
Tradition has it that if you throw a coin with your back to the tub and then turn quickly to meet the moment when the coin enters the water, you will certainly return to Rome.
Throwing coins into fountains or wells to propitiate luck is a gesture with ancient origins and is probably attributable to the belief that water was inhabited by divinities.
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