I love Italy and was lucky enough to visit there a few times when I lived in England. More than forty years ago, on a high school trip, I threw a coin into Rome’s Trevi Fountain since local lore states that if you throw a coin into the fountain, you will one day return to Rome. Recently, that wish finally came true. I am delighted to report that the fountain apparently honors its commitments, although its timetable leaves something to be desired. Even by the standards of a British woman accustomed to waiting patiently in queues, four decades is quite a delay! The Trevi Fountain (“Fontana di Trevi” in Italian) is probably my favorite part of Rome, has a history that predates the 1600s, and it’s the most well-known fountain in the world. “Trevi” is a mashup of the Italian words “tre,” meaning “three” and “vie,” meaning “roads,” because the fountain was constructed at the intersection of Rome’s then three most important thoroughfares. Today, we know that the original design of the Trevi was more utilitarian than artful, as it was used as Rome’s source for naturally pure and potable water by way of another great feat of engineering by the ancient Romans, the aqueduct. It wasn’t until many years later that the Trevi Fountain got its Baroque makeover, thanks to a commission from Pope Urban VIII, who had the fountain redesigned and renovated by one of Italy’s most famous sculptors, Bernini. Returning to somewhere you first knew when you were young is a curious experience. The main…
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