Trevi Fountain: a palace wall turned into a waterfall
The Trevi Fountain is 26 metres high and 49 wide, and fills one whole side of a small square. You hear it before you see it.
- What it is
- Monument
- Time to allow
- 20 to 40 minutes
- Cost
- Free from the square, ticket for the basin
- Best time
- Before eight in the morning, or late at night
Rome this week
Why the Trevi Fountain is worth it
The water comes from the Acqua Vergine, an aqueduct first opened in 19 BC and still running. The fountain marks its end, at a meeting of three streets, the tre vie that may have given it its name. Nicola Salvi designed it, and Giuseppe Pannini finished it in 1762, thirty years after work began.
What makes it unlike any other fountain is that it has no edges. The sculpture grows out of the palace behind it and the rocks spill into the square, so the whole wall seems to be dissolving into water. In the middle the god Oceanus rides a shell drawn by two sea horses, one calm and one wild, for the two tempers of the sea.
Then there is the coin. Throw one over your shoulder into the water and, the story goes, you will come back to Rome. Enough people believe it, or play along, that the coins are swept up regularly and given to the charity Caritas.
What to see
Oceanus and the sea horses
The central group, under the great niche. Look for the difference between the two horses: one rears, the other is led quietly.
The story of the water
The relief on the upper right shows a girl pointing soldiers to the spring, the legend behind the name Acqua Vergine. On the left, Agrippa approves the plans for the aqueduct.
The fountain at night
After dark the stone is lit and the water glows green. Fellini filmed Anita Ekberg wading in it for La Dolce Vita in 1960. Do not try it: the fine is real.
The view from the side
The steps on the right, by the church, give the best angle for a photograph: the whole front, the water, and less of the crowd.
How to do it well
- Since February 2026 visitors who do not live in Rome need a ticket to go down to the edge of the basin. Looking from the square above costs nothing.
- Go before eight in the morning or after eleven at night. In the middle of the day the square is full from wall to wall.
- Right hand, over the left shoulder, with your back to the water: that is how the coin is thrown.
- Do not sit on the edge, eat on the steps or put a hand in the water. All three are fined.
- Keep a hand on your bag. A crowd this dense, all looking the same way, is where pickpockets work.
Where it is
Address
Piazza di Trevi, in the Trevi district
Nearest station
Barberini, on line A
Museums and sights nearby
- Pantheon600 m
- Capitoline Museums900 m
- Colosseum1.4 km
- Castel Sant'Angelo1.4 km
Distances are in a straight line.
Tickets and tours: Trevi Fountain
Trevi Fountain: common questions
- Is the Trevi Fountain free to visit?
- Seeing it from the square is free at any hour. Since February 2026, visitors who are not residents of Rome need a ticket to go down the steps to the edge of the basin.
- Why do people throw coins into the Trevi Fountain?
- By tradition, a coin thrown into the fountain means you will return to Rome. The money is collected and given to the charity Caritas.
- When is the Trevi Fountain least crowded?
- Early in the morning, before about eight, and late at night. It is lit after dark and is at its best then.
- How much time do you need for the Trevi Fountain?
- Allow 20 to 40 minutes. That is this site's estimate for an unhurried visit.
What visitors say about the Trevi Fountain
Rating from Google
Things to do near the Trevi Fountain
The nearest of this site's best things to do in the city. Distances are in a straight line.
- 8Climb the Spanish Steps550 m awayMonument, 30 to 45 minutes, free
- 4Stand under the dome of the Pantheon600 m awayMonument, 30 to 45 minutes, ticket
- 20Find Caravaggio's paintings in three churches750 m awayChurch, 1 to 2 hours, free
- 7Walk Piazza Navona and its fountains850 m awayWalk, 30 to 60 minutes, free
Hotels near the Trevi Fountain
The five-star hotels closest to it, of those this site lists in Rome. Distances are in a straight line.
- Six Senses Rome4.6Five-star hotel, Via del Corso250 m away
- Hotel d'Inghilterra4.5Five-star hotel, Via dei Condotti500 m away
- Portrait Roma4.8Five-star hotel, Via dei Condotti550 m away
- Hotel de la Ville4.8Five-star hotel, Spanish Steps550 m away