When was the Trevi Fountain finally completed?

The Trevi Fountain (Italian “Fontana di Trevi”) in Rome is considered a late Baroque masterpiece and is arguably the best known of the city’s numerous fountains. The Trevi Fountain took some 30 years to complete, and after Salvi’s death in 1751, Giuseppe Pannini, who slightly altered the original scheme, oversaw its completion in 1762. According to legend, those who toss coins into its waters will return to Rome. The coins are collected daily and donated to charity.

The fountain is located in Rome’s Trevi district, abutting the Palazzo Poli. An earlier fountain on the site was demolished in the 17th century, and a design competition for a new fountain was won by Nicola Salvi in 1732. His creation was a scenic wonder.

The immense fountain stands some 85 feet (26 meters) high and is approximately 160 feet (49 meters) wide. Its water, from the ancient aqueduct called Acqua Vergine, was long considered Rome’s softest and best tasting; for centuries, barrels of it were taken every week to the Vatican. However, the water is now non-potable. The Trevi Fountain was featured in numerous books and films, notably Federico Fellini’s La Dolce Vita in 1960, as the photo illustrates.

Rome is as much a city of fountains as it is of churches or palaces, antiquities or urban problems. Roman composer Ottorino Respighi found in them inspiration for his orchestral tone poem "Fontane di Roma" (1917).