The coin-throwing tradition at the Trevi Fountain in Rome is a popular ritual for visitors, deeply rooted in ancient pagan customs.
Here’s a breakdown:
- Ancient Roman pagan rituals involved making offerings to water deities for good luck and safe passage.
- The tradition was revived by German archaeologist Wolfgang Helbig in the late 19th/early 20th century as a farewell gesture for guests leaving Rome.
- Stand with your back to the fountain.
- Hold the coin in your right hand.
- Toss it over your left shoulder into the fountain’s central basin.
- One coin: Ensures your return to Rome.
- Two coins: Believed to bring love into your life.
- Three coins: Signifies a return to Rome, finding love, and marrying in the Eternal City.
- This tradition was popularized by the 1954 film “Three Coins in the Fountain,” further solidifying its place in popular culture.
- An estimated €3,000 are thrown into the fountain daily.
- Importantly, the collected coins are donated to Caritas, a Catholic charity, to support their work with the poor and homeless in Rome . This money funds soup kitchens, food banks, shelters, and other vital social programs.
What does it mean if you throw a coin in the Trevi Fountain?
Tossing coins into the Trevi Fountain is a tradition that is thought to have roots back to old pagan rituals of dropping a coin into a body of water as an offering to deities that resided there in the hope of receiving good luck and fortune.
How many coins are you supposed to throw in the Trevi Fountain?
Great question! The myth of the Trevi Fountain
The myth, originating in 1954 with the movie ” Three Coins in the Fountain,” goes like this: If you throw one coin: you will return to Rome. If you throw two coins: you will fall in love with an attractive Italian. If you throw three coins: you will marry the person that you met.
What’s the story behind the Trevi Fountain?
Good point! The story of the Trevi Fountain, one of Rome’s most famous fountains, starts with a young girl. According to legend, the source of Acqua Vergine aqueduct, which feeds the Trevi, was discovered by a young girl (the titular “virgin”) who later showed it to a group of thirsty Roman soldiers returning to Rome.
What is the correct way to throw a coin in the Trevi Fountain?
Good point! You can make a wish by throwing a coin over your shoulder. And into the fountain. The proper way to throw your coin is to stand with you back to the fountain.