|
|
| .. |
Nicole's
Travelogues and Budget Travel Tips..
|
|
|
ROME (CONT.), ITALYTREVI FOUNTAIN
The Fontana di Trevi or Trevi Fountain is the most famous fountain in Rome. It is located in Trevi Square in the Quirinale district. The central figure of the fountain, in front of a large niche, is Neptune, god of the sea. He is riding a chariot in the shape of a shell, pulled by two sea horses. Each sea horse is guided by a Triton. One of the horses is calm and obedient, the other one restive. They symbolize the fluctuating moods of the sea. On the left hand side of Neptune is a statue representing Abundance, the statue on the right represents Salubrity. The water at the bottom of the fountain represents the sea.
We took the metro to the Barberini Station and walked down a few blocks to the Trevi Fountain. The fountain was huge and as gorgeous as everyone says. It was also as crowded as everyone says! I dug in my bag for some quarters and couldn't find any. But I did have some leftover rupee coins from my India trip, so I tossed those over my left shoulder.
PIAZZA DEL POPOLO
The Piazza lies inside the northern gate in the Aurelian Walls, once the Porta Flaminia of ancient Rome. Before railroads, it was the traveller's first view of Rome upon arrival. For centuries, the Piazza del Popolo was a place for public executions, the last of which took place in 1826. The layout of the piazza today was designed in neoclassical style forming two semicircles, similar to Bernini's plan for St. Peter's Square. An Egyptian obelisk of Rameses II from Heliopolis stands in the centre of the Piazza (Wasn't it stolen from Egypt along with the other obelisks around Rome? Argh!). At the southern end of the plaza are two symmetrical churches on either side of the Via del Corso (photo above). The Santa Maria dei Miracoli and the Santa Maria in Montesanto were designed by Carlo Rainaldi. The churches are not identical since the surface area for the Santa Maria in Montesanto (on the left) was smaller. In order to preserve symmetry, he created an oval dome for this church and a circular dome for the Santa Maria dei Miracoli.
|
|
A traditional legend holds that if visitors throw a coin into the fountain, they are ensured a return to Rome. Among those who are unaware that the "three coins" of Three Coins in the Fountain were thrown by three different individuals, a reported current interpretation is that two coins will ensure a marriage will occur soon, while three coins leads to a divorce. A reported current version of this legend is that it is lucky to throw three coins with one's right hand over one's left shoulder into the Trevi Fountain.
