The position of the famous “ace of Cups” of the Trevi Fountain may not be accidental
Despite the notoriety of the work, there may be village stories linked to some elements of the fountain. One would concern “the Ace of Cups”, a large travertine vase positioned on the right end of the fountain.
The Trevi Fountain is certainly one of the most popular and well-known works in Rome. Today it is the destination of millions of tourists who come from all over the world and who delight in the famous rite of tossing a coin, a wish for a speedy return to the capital. For the realization of this extraordinary work it took almost thirty years and perhaps we can also understand why considering the fame enjoyed by the fountain.
It was 1731 when Pope Clement XII instituted a competition for the construction of a fountain on the facade of Palazzo Poli. It seems it should have been built by a French sculptor, Lambert Sigisbert Adam, but then, due to a series of still unclear circumstances, the task was entrusted to Nicola Salvi. Some hypothesize that the papal preference was for an Italian client, others argue that the transalpine artist gave up to remain in France. The works began in 1732 and were completed in 1762 by the architect Giuseppe Pannini.
Despite the notoriety of the work, there may be village stories linked to some elements of the fountain. One would concern “the Ace of Cups”, a large travertine vase positioned on the right end of the fountain. Roman folklore has given him this nickname by virtue of the similarity with the homonymous ace of Neapolitan decks of cards. Well, the position of the vase would not seem to be random, it would in fact be linked, according to legend, to an old dispute dating back to the time of the construction of the fountain.
It seems that during the construction phases of Salvi’s masterpiece some residents and neighborhood craftsmen used to go to the building site. Among the visitors who came and went to observe the progress of the work commissioned by Pope Clement XII there was apparently a rather skilled barber.
His salon overlooked Piazza di Trevi and therefore enjoyed a privileged position for browsing, but according to legend, the barber used to address architect Salvi with harsh judgments. He was always there pointing fingers and criticizing, in short, it seems he was a real pain in the ass.
In response, the architect decided to build a large vase, the ace of cups, directly in front of the barber’s salon. In this way Salvi obscured the shopkeeper’s view and protected himself from those annoying criticisms.
The story, in line with typical Roman humor, remains a legend, but the invitation not to prolong a discussion seems obvious. “Put a stone on it”, or maybe a vase in front of it.
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