Description
A Trevi Fountain guided tour starts a few steps behind the monument, in Piazza di Poli, where an English-speaking local guide waits for the group. From there you walk to the fountain and go through the designated entry area, which puts you right beside the water instead of at the back of the crowd on the square.
The guide explains how Nicola Salvi designed this 18th-century Baroque frontage on the wall of Palazzo Poli, and what the ancient aqueduct behind it has to do with the whole thing. Standing at the basin, you look at the rough travertine rock, then at Oceanus at the centre and the two statues beside him, Abundance and Salubrity, and the guide reads what each one stands for. Radio headsets mean you hear every word even when the square is busy.
- Entry to the reserved area of the Trevi Fountain
- Live English commentary with radio headsets
- The history, symbolism and aqueduct of the fountain
- A guided stop at the Spanish Steps, if you pick that option
The visit ends with the part everybody has heard of: the coin toss, and the legend that says it brings you back to Rome. The tour lasts 30 minutes, or 75 with the Spanish Steps added. Vicus Caprarius, the underground site near the fountain, is not part of it, and professional photos are not included.