Visitors have been throwing coins into Rome’s iconic Trevi Fountain for years to make a wish, but by taking part in this tradition they are giving practical help to those in need, as the coins collected are donated to the Rome branch of the non-profit charity Caritas, which uses them to fund a food bank, soup kitchen and welfare projects, on Thursday, the 7th of March, reports Reuters.
Caritas raised 1.4 million euros from the fountain in 2022 and is expected to raise even more in 2023.
The removal of coins from the fountain is a stunning event involving employees of the regional utility ACEA. Balancing on the edge of the fountain, they use long brooms and suction hoses to suck the coins out of the fountain
Up to four workers collect the coins twice a week, said Francesco Prisco, ACEA manager. “The collection and cleaning work is carried out as quickly as possible to try to reduce the fountain’s downtime,” he said, adding that the fountain is emptied for cleaning twice a month.
The collected coins are then handed over to Caritas, where they are spread out on a huge table to dry. They are dried with a hairdryer and towels, and then carefully sorted and counted with a money counter in the Caritas office.
It is not only coins that are brought out of the fountain. Jewellery, dentures, religious medals, watches and even umbilical cords have been removed.
Warning signs at the fountain warn against stealing the coins, which have been the target of thieves for decades but are often stolen using magnets attached to long poles.
Signs around Rome’s Trevi Fountain explain that the coins thrown in are donated to charity,
an idea that pleases many tourists who pose in front of the monument.
A tourist from Brazil expressed her delight to Reuters, saying that although she was making a wish close to her heart, she was aware that the impact of the coin was greater, helping those in need.
A tourist from Italy stressed that the Trevi Fountain is a must-see attraction in Rome. Highlighting its cultural importance, he pointed to the tradition of throwing coins into the fountain, which not only enriches the experience but also helps a positive cause.
Legend has it that throwing a coin into the fountain with the right hand over the left shoulder guarantees a return to Rome, and people like to add their personal wishes, such as finding love or health for loved ones.
The Trevi Fountain, completed in 1762, is located in front of the Palazzo Poli in the centre of Rome and is decorated with statues of the Tritons driving the chariot of the Ocean Shell, a symbolic image of the taming of water.
Federico Fellini immortalised the fountain in La Dolce Vita, where Anita Ekberg lures Marcello Mastroianni into the fountain after midnight. Nowadays, however, wading into the water is forbidden and tourists can be fined.
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