The Fountain of Trevi, Rome, Italy
This is another unused postcard found in a jumble of cards at a local antique pavilion. It features a black & white photograph of the Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy. The card has portions of the photo tinted a pink-purple color. There is a blurb on the reverse: “The Fountain of Trevi, Rome.—This celebrated fountain is one of the gems of sculpture in Rome and is so beautiful and attractive that it is visited by everyone who has the good fortune to go to Rome. Everybody who leaves Rome, dating back for many hundred years, throws a piece of coin in the fountain, saying a little prayer for their preservation and safe return, and it is said the good spirits of saints of Rome watch over those who perform this duty and bring them safely back to Rome.” There is no information on the card giving credit to a photographer or the printer, publisher or distributor.
Nicola Salvi (1697-1751), an Italian architect, designed the Trevi Fountain but died before it was completed. The remaining work was done by Giuseppe Pannini and others in 1762. The fountain is 86 ft or 26.3 m high and 161.3 ft or 49.15 m wide. It is the largest Baroque fountain in Rome and one of the most famous fountains in the world. The name comes from the Latin, trivium, or intersection of three roads. Several sculptors were hired to complete the decorations on the fountain. The fountain has been refurbished and restored three times in modern history. The most recent restoration included the addition of 100 LED lights to improve nighttime illumination.
Anciently aqueducts supplied pure water to Rome for 400 years. During the 6th century the aqueducts were not well maintained and some were damaged following the invasion of the Ostrogoths. Later they were repaired. Amazingly, the aqueduct could still be used now; however, the fountain recirculates the water today.
For more information, see:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trevi_Fountain
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicola_Salvi
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