Each year, more than a million euros end up in the Trevi Fountain in Rome, making it the most lucrative fountain on the planet. That’s largely thanks to a scene in the 1954 movie Three Coins in the Fountain, in which two of the lead characters popularized the tradition of throwing coins into the waters of the Trevi Fountain, which, according to legend, ensures the visitor will one day return to the Eternal City. Over the years, the tradition has evolved, and now tourists make any wish as they toss in their money. But have you ever wondered what happens to the cash that accumulates in the Trevi Fountain and other famous fountains like it? Find out below.
The History of the Trevi Fountain
The Trevi Fountain was designed by Nicola Salvi to replace an earlier fountain that graced the same site in Rome’s Trevi district. After the architect’s death in 1751, fellow architect Giuseppe Pannini oversaw the project’s completion in 1762. Today, the Trevi Fountain is widely considered to be one of the world’s most impressive late-Baroque fountains. It stands 85 feet tall and 160 feet wide, featuring a magnificent statue of the god Oceanus riding a chariot pulled by seahorses and flanked by tritons. Its water is still supplied by the ancient Acqua Vergine aqueduct, a 12-mile-long structure commissioned by Roman statesman Marcus Vispsiano Agrippa more than 2,000 years ago.
How the Fountain Is Maintained
It’s important that a treasured landmark such as the Trevi Fountain is properly cared for. To keep the fountain in tip-top shape, workers from utility company Acea have the task of periodically clearing it out. Every few days, the Acea crew cleans the fountain and checks pH levels, temperature, and chlorine content to ensure everything is functioning correctly. And at two-week intervals, they drain the fountain and add disinfectant to the water.
It’s not the only way the city looks after this cherished historic landmark. Behind its ornate marble façade, there’s also a double-tank reservoir that holds the fountain’s water. Each reservoir has a capacity of more than 100,000 gallons of water; around 58 gallons per second are pumped through the fountain. The flow of the water is remotely and carefully managed to ensure that the pressure stays even, without any interruptions or overflows. The water is also recycled to ensure that there’s no waste. And recently, officials announced that the fountain will undergo a major cleaning and restoration in late 2024, which comes with temporary restrictions on access to the popular landmark.
A Worthy Beneficiary
Thanks to the popular coin-tossing tradition, approximately €3,000 worth of coins accumulates in the Trevi Fountain every day, so collecting the money is a significant and ongoing task. During the cleaning process, the coins are collected using long brooms and suction hoses. They are then donated to the Catholic charity Caritas, which has a global reach. Volunteers working for the organization load bags of coins into their van and take them to the head office. There, the sizable haul is dried by hand using hairdryers. Coin counter machines sort and tally up the amount raised, which is used to fund projects such as local food banks, health care initiatives, and shelters for unhoused populations.
The Coin Thief
While most people respect that the coins aren’t there for the taking, that hasn’t always been the case. For years, a man named Roberto Cercelletta, nicknamed “D’Artagnan,” became notorious as the Trevi Fountain coin thief. He repeatedly gathered up coins from the water to support his own lifestyle. Despite him being caught by police on numerous occasions, his actions weren’t initially deemed illegal. This prompted the city to pass legislation that established ownership of all property in the fountain and banned people from acts such as stepping into the water or retrieving its pecuniary contents.
Spare a Dime for a Good Cause?
In the U.S., coins tossed in other famous fountains are also donated to worthy causes. Those thrown into the famous fountains outside the Bellagio on the Las Vegas Strip are collected and donated to charity. A video released by the resort in 2022 reported that the coin collections from the previous five years amounted to about $200,000, all of which went to people in need.
Similarly, change dropped in the indoor ponds at the Mall of America near Minneapolis is donated to local nonprofit organizations. Each month, a different organization is selected to receive a share of the estimated $24,000 that is donated annually. Community projects wishing to be considered are asked to submit a formal request to the mall’s staff. And a post on Disney’s Instagram feed reports that the coins thrown into fountains across the company’s theme parks are periodically collected and given to charity. In 2022, a $30,000 donation was made to Give Kids The World Village, a nonprofit that makes wishes come true for critically ill children.
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