Sunday, November 26, 2006

This late Baroque creation is one of Rome’s unforgettable sights. In 19BC Agrippa decided to build a long canal to bring water to Rome. Pope Nicholas V commissioned Gian Lorenzo Bernini to create the actual fountain but the project was abandoned after the death of Pope Urban VIII in 1644. In 1732, Pope Clement XII employed Niccolò Salvi to continue the work, and the result is a Baroque masterpiece. The fountain has a scenographical effect, guaranteed by the restricted space of the surrounding, which presents itself as a theatre. The central niche depicts Neptune riding a chariot driven by sea horses and the water flows over rocks before collecting in a pool below. According to legend, if you throw a coin into the water by expressing a wish, your wish will become true and you will certainly return to the Eternal City.

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