Fontana dell'Acqua Felice and/or Fontana del Mosè
This fountain was commissioned by Pope Sixtus V and built in the years 1585 to 1590 (the Felice Peratti century). It is constructed of marble, stucco & travertine fountain and is located in the Piazza di S. Bernardo. We encountered this fountain walking from the Basilica of Santa Maria Della Angeli to the Piazza Barberini.
The fountain, an exhibition of the Felice Aqueduct, was restored in 1850 to 1851 by Tandolini; and in 1987 to 1989 restoration work was undertaken to return the monument to its original colour scheme and additional restoration work was conducted in 2010 to 2011.
Walking to the Trevi Fountain, we encountered a delightful Carabinieri Marching Band performing in the streets of Rome!
Uber Jump bikes; electric bikes – our very first sighting of these bikes which became a common sighting all over Rome. If you are brave enough to cycle in Rome, you can find a bike, scan the code, jump on and pedal off. When you reach your destination, park the bike and walk away….
A Tesla car being charged in the road – for us a novelty sighting but a normal occurrence in Europe. We were to see numerous charging points for electric cars in our perambulations around Rome.
A very dinky electric car being charged – this car is the perfect size for finding parking in Rome and also ideal for navigating some of the narrow Roman roads
Piazza Barberini and the Fontana del Tritone
The Piazza Barberini is situated in the ancient circus of Flora, where floral games took place every May to celebrate springtime. It is situated on the Quirinal Hill; the majority of buildings have been rebuilt since those established in the 16th Century.
The Piazzza Barberini is famous for the beautiful Fontana del Tritone (the Triton Fountain) designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini and constructed between 1632 and 1637.
Window shopping in the Murano Glass Shop
Before you reach the Trevi Fountain, the roar of the water and the crowds alerts you to the fact that you are close!
We clearly picked a popular day to visit the Trevi Fountain
The Fontana di Trevi / Trevi is located in the Trevi district in Rome. It was designed by Italian architect Nicola Salvi and completed by Giuseppe Pannini and several others. This fountain, one of the most famous in the world, stands 26.3 metres (86 ft) high and 49.15 metres (161.3 ft) wide and is the largest Baroque fountain in the city. The fountain has appeared in several notable films, including Roman Holiday, La Dolce Vita, the eponymous Three Coins in the Fountain to name but a few!
Coins are thrown into the fountain using the right hand over the left shoulder. This is meant to ensure a person’s return to Rome and this was the theme of 1954's Three Coins in the Fountain and the Academy Award-winning song by that name which introduced the movie.
An estimated 3,000 euros are thrown into the fountain each day! ] In 2016, an estimated €1.4 million was thrown into the fountain. The money was used to subsidise a supermarket for Rome's needy. It is illegal to try to remove the coins from the fountain but that does not stop people trying to do it – we did not get near the fountain to throw any coins into it but we are determined that we will return to Rome someday!
A very short distance from the hubbub of noise at the Trevi Fountain, we passed a courtyard with sculptures and intrigued we investigated further and walked into the building where the courtyard with the sculptures where on our right ….. We discovered a ramp spirally upwards at a somewhat steep incline, we walked up and up and up and discovered a hidden gem of an art gallery awaited us right at the top. An incredible find – we later realised we were in the National Academy of San Luca Piazza Accademia di S. Luca, 77.
Galleria Alberto Sordi
A covered shopping mall with exclusive bespoke boutiques
