Trevi Fountain - The Voice of Rome

Before we joined a group of window covering dealers (who sell Hunter Douglas products) in Venice in May, 2007, to board a ship for the Greek Island cruise, we spent six days in the "Eternal City". Rome, Italy has many wonderful places to visit and many fountains, but none eclipses this "voice of the Eternal City" - the Trevi Fountain.

The Trevi Fountain is huge, 65 feet wide and 85 feet high, literally part of the host palace's facade. It appears that the fountain just flows from the base of the building itself. What an impressive structure, seemingly tucked away in a confined space off narrow streets. The mythical figure Oceanus (or, some say Neptune) stands proudly in his shell-shaped chariot, controlling the flood that cascades beneath him. Water gushes around the other figures and tumbles over the rocks below. The water basin takes up a large part of the piazza making you feel as if the fountain is part of the piazza itself.

The Trevi Fountain was commissioned by Pope Clement XII and designed by Italian architect Niccolo Salvi. Construction was started in 1732 and completed in 1762. The fountain is fed by the first-century BC Agua Virgo aqueduct.

An interesting story we heard from the guide we had hired to show us Rome's fountains, was that there had been a barber shop across the street from the fountain's construction site, to the right of the photo, when it was being constructed. Evidentially, the barber gave the architect and his workmen quite a bit of trouble because he objected to the noise of the construction. So bad was his behavior towards the builders that the architect "fixed him" by building a large obstruction on the wall of the fountain in front of his shop so that the bottom shops in the building, including the shop that the barber occupied would never be able to see the beautiful fountain. This explains the rather large obstruction on the right side of the fountain's wall still standing today.

Hundreds of visitors visit the Trevi Fountain each day to toss coins into the fountain (legend says that the fountain has special wishing powers), the money left by tourists averages about $11,000 per week which is collected and donated to a religious charity.

Both Walt & I want to thank all of our 2006 clients for making this trip possible. This year, 2008, we will be again going on a Hunter Douglas trip to Europe - a cruise of the Baltic Sea. How can we thank all of our wonderful clients in 2007 for making another wonderful trip possible?

We wish everyone a wonderful, successful & healthy 2008!