Grand Suite Royal Trevi Fountain Hotel Rome

Made famous by a visually appealing scene in La Dolce Vita, and a popular tourist destination, I'm going to risk the mob and claim that the Trevi Fountain is over-rated. It's not grand enough to be awe-inspiring, nor is it non-touristy enough to be an interesting discovery. It could be that I was just star-struck by all the other fantastic sites in Rome, and that in any other city the Trevi Fountain would be remarkable.  Don't get me wrong, it's still a beautiful fountain and a nice place to enjoy some gelato, but I just wouldn't rank it among the top sites in Rome.

In addition to the crowds you also need to be prepared to deal with incredibly aggresive flower vendors. The rumor is that they are mafia backed, which might help explain their attitudes. They capitalize on the romantic atmosphere, so be prepared to feel like a heartless ghoul if you turn down their offers to buy flowers for your girl. A well-timed "e basta"(which means "that's enough") should help to get them off your back.

The Trevi Fountain stands at the terminal point of the Acqua Vergine, one of the ancient aqueducts that brought water from the countryside to the city. Legend states that a young maiden, or virgin (hence the name), revealed the source of the water to a group of Roman soldiers. The Trevi Fountain was mostly unknown by tourists until the success of the film "Three Coins in a Fountain". The fountain was built on to the end of a building. The piazza that the fountain faces is quite small; the attached photo was taken by standing in a doorway as far as possible from the fountain. The bas-relief on the panel in the upper right corner depicts this. A series of about eight different popes all wanted to build a beautiful fountain here during their pontificate. After many years of various plans being drawn by numerous architects for an elaborate fountain, none of which were ever completed, in 1732 Nicola Salvi, who was commissioned by Pope Clement XII, finally began work on the fountain. The Pope wanted to make sure he got the credit for it so he erected the inscription at the top in 1735, even though it was still far from completion. He was wise to do so, because he died before it was finished, as did the architect Nicola Salvi. Salvi spent his entire career on this fountain, and it remains his sole legacy. It was finally completed in 1762 by Giuseppe Pannini. The Trevi Fountain is usually one of the handful of sights that just about any visitor to Rome has on their itinerary. While it is very beautiful, it is also extremely crowded with tourists night and day, and consequently with plenty of immigrant street vendors selling junk to make a living, or pickpockets looking for an easier profit. To see the fountain in something resembling peace and quiet, the best time is early in the morning. Tradition says that if you stand with your back to the fountain and throw a coin from your right hand over your left shoulder into the fountain, you will one day return to Rome. Throw two and you will return to Rome and fall in love, three coins and you will return to Rome, fall in love, and get married. So far my first two coins have worked; I should have an update sometime next year about the third!

Is the Trevi Fountain overrated- yes, a resounding YES! I was really surprised to find that the fountain is small and not at steet level. It was crowded, noisy and the rose sellers just about ruined my day! We had to jostle our way past tourists from every country to see it and once we did, it was a great let-down. We were accosted by two different rose sellers, who were rude and pushy, literally thrusting roses into my hand and then refusing to take them back insisting that we now pay for them. Please don't fall into this tourist trap and if you must see it, beware of the rose sellers!!!