When in Rome

A few days after I graduated from college I went to Europe for a few weeks. The trip was through the Interior Design Department at Ricks College and my closest friends over the last 3 years went. Needless to say we were all full of uncontained excitement. Our first day in Rome we went to see the Trevi Fountain. Young college graduates in one of the most amazing cities in the world, we had just gotten our first Gelato (Italian ice cream), it couldn't have gotten any better. Of course we all threw our coins into the fountain and speculated when and how we would be coming back to Rome!

Here is a little history on the Trevi Fountain. The most famous, and most visited, of all the fountains in Rome; the semi-circular shaped Trevi Fountain sits below pavement level. You have to go down steps to get close to the fountain. The central figure is Neptune, the god of the sea, he is riding his sea-shell chariot is Each horse is guided by a Triton. One horse represents calm and obedience and the other on is restive; they symbolize the fluctuating moods of the sea. The two statues on each side of Neptune represent Abundance and Health. The water at the bottom of the fountain represents the sea and a well told legend holds that if a visitor throws a coin into the fountain they are ensured a return to the Eternal City, Rome. Approximately $3,000 Euros are thrown into the fountain each day; the money is used to subsidize the supermarket for Rome’s needy.

In October of 2007 the water in the Trevi Fountain turned red. In an act of vandalism a man threw a bucket of red paint dye into the water. The fountain re-uses the same water so quickly after the dye was dumped into the water the fountains started spouting red water. After being shut down and cleaned the fountain was given a clean bill of health and no permanent damage was done to the marble statues.

I definitely recommend a trip to Rome. All the architecture and culture and food. It's enough to make you deliriously addicted to traveling!