“Autumn in Rome. My heart remembers fountains where children played” so sang Patti Page in the film with the same title. The film is generally forgotten by the song itself became famous over the years, being sung by stars such as Peggy Lee and Tony Bennett.
The Autumn is a good time to visit many of the major cities in Europe. In the summer months can be draining and the throngs of tourists exhausting. Autumn brings cooler weather and shorter crowds. The fountain referred to in the song could easily refer to the most famous fountain in the world, the Trevi Fountain.
Built between 1732 and 1762 the fountain has a magnificent height of 26 meters and a width of 50 meters. Over time the fountain the been renovated a number of time, most recently in 2015 and as a result you can benefit from the lights that illuminate the fountain at night.
The fountain represents a landscape with rocks featuring figures with a sea theme. The central figure is the Greek god of the sea Oceanus, surrounded by tritons and mythical creatures.
Of course if you have travelled all the way to Rome and the Trevi Fountain you will want to get home safely. In this case then toss one coin over your shoulder into the water. To fall in love toss two coins and three coins will bring about a wedding. Approximately one million euros and tossed in the fountain each year, providing a welcome source of income to a number charities.
Not far from the Trevi Fountain, a 5 minute walk away, you will find the Scalinata di Trinita dei Monti or as they are know in English, the Spanish Steps. The 135 steps were built between 1723 and 1725 to connect the town area with the around the “Piazza di Spagna” with the church “Santa Trinita dei Monti” above. As you can see in the photo above the Piazza di Spagna contains its own fountain, the Fontana della Barcaccia (Fountain of the Long Boat). John Keats the English poet lived and died in a house in the piazza on the right as you begin to climb the steps. The house now houses a museum (Keates-Shelly Memorial House) dedicated to his memory and the English Romantic generation. For many people their introduction to the Spanish Steps was through the film “Roman Holiday” starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck.
More selfies are posted online taken on the Spanish Steps than anywhere else in Rome.
In out trio of places to visit in Rome today, we will visit the Pantheon. Its 400 meters from the Trevi Fountain and 700 meters from the Spanish Steps.
The Pantheon is one of the top five places to visit in Rome, it is an impressive building. Completed in 128 AD, the bulding was originally constructed as a temple to the gods. After the advent of Christianity it became a church and although a tourist attraction, it is still fulfills its functions as a church today and so please dress appropriately if the Pantheon is on your list of places to visit. It is one of the best preserved buildings from the Roman era in the city.
The circular part of the building has a diameter of 44 meters and the dome has an oculous of 9 meters which is completely open so if it rains you can get wet inside the building. There are no windowns so the oculous provides the only source of natural light.
Contact Maggie today to book your “Roman Holiday”. What will you wish for in the Trevi Fountain>
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