Strict Rules Tourists Need To Know Before Visiting Rome's Trevi Fountain

Rome's glorious Trevi Fountain is something that you have to make a point to see when visiting the Eternal City. The gorgeous sculptural landmark was completed in 1762 and is fed by the Aqua Virgo, an ancient aqueduct completed in 19 B.C. Designed by Nicola Salvi and finished by Guiseppe Pannini after Savli's passing, it depicts the ocean god Oceanus and the goddesses Abundance and Health. There are also hippocampi, or half-horse half-fish creatures from Roman mythology, above a gorgeous pool of water. 

If you've been to the Trevi Fountain, you'll know that its popularity almost guarantees that it can be really crowded, making pickpocketing and unruly behavior frustratingly common. To keep this landmark in good condition, there are several rules you must follow when visiting, although a recent incident where someone entered the fountain shows that not all visitors respect the rules. Don't be that person. If enough people stop following these rules, it's possible that a 2020 proposal by the then-mayor of Rome to limit access to the fountain might be enacted. Here's what you need to know about the restrictions at the fountain, the etiquette of throwing coins in, and what happens to those coins after you leave Rome.

Thousands of visitors make their way to the Trevi Fountain every single day, so if you prefer something a little more serene, these Italian islands that don't get enough attention might be a better idea. With the mass of attention the Trevi Fountain receives, imagine what would happen if the spot wasn't regulated, especially in the age of social media, where people seem more willing to break rules in a desperate race to catch that perfect shot. Whether you are a tourist or a resident who finds themselves in front of this astonishing sculptural work, you are not allowed to get in the water at all. There are police in the area to ensure this doesn't happen.

You are not allowed to eat and drink by the fountain and may not sit on the edge. You absolutely cannot climb the sculptures, for reasons we shouldn't have to explain. You will be fined for the offense. The rules came into sharp focus after a woman was recorded in 2023 entering the water and — take a breath before you read this — trying to fill her water bottle. It's not only disrespectful, but Rome (as well as many other cities in Italy) has free public water fountains (called nasoni) everywhere and plenty of shops to purchase bottled water. Trying to fill your bottle from the fountain is disrespectful and illegal, not to mention idiotic.

There is a story that says if you toss a coin into the Trevi Fountain, you'll someday return to Rome. This comes from the 1954 film "Three Coins in the Fountain," starring Clifton Webb and Dorothy McGuire. It is also thought that if you throw in a second coin, you'll fall in love with a handsome Italian man, and a third coin ensures you'll marry him. However, the real origin of tossing coins into fountains isn't exactly known, but it's thought to come from Roman-British and Celtic mythology, where you'd give an offering to the powerful spirits of nature.

There is a correct way to throw in your coin, which the woman in the picture above isn't quite doing. While you should indeed turn away from the fountain, you are supposed to throw the coin over your left shoulder with your right hand. Complicated, yes, but hey, it's supposed to do a lot of magical things! That brings us to the final rule. You cannot take any coins out of the fountain. There is around $3,250 worth of change tossed in the fountain every single day, and the money is donated to charity. A stunning structure and a good cause? Get those coins ready! You might just fall in love in the process.