The Documents Relating to the Fountain of Trevi

Abstract

THE Fountain of Trevi stands in the center of Rome, in a small square near the intersection of the Via del Corso and the Via del Tritone. On the façade of a palace which forms one side of the square, a structure resembling a Roman triumphal arch encloses three niches separated by giant engaged columns. In the central niche a colossal figure of Oceanus riding on a chariot of sea shells is drawn by two marine horses which plunge through a welter of rocks and water, guided by Tritons. The rocky base extends across the entire façade of the palace, and the water, flowing from a central outlet below the chariot, cascades into a large basin below. Allegorical figures and reliefs decorate the attic, panels, and niches which flank the main sculptural groups (Fig. 1).