Content
Skip to Main ContentAccessibility Help
As It Happens

Rome's iconic Trevi Fountain reopens after major restoration

One of Rome's most storied fountains has finally come back to life. The waters at Fontana di Trevi are flowing again after a year-and-a-half of badly-needed repairs.
CBC Radio ·
The newly restored Trevi Fountain is lit during the official inauguration in Rome, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015. The historical fountain, famed as a setting for the film "La Dolce Vita'' and the place where dreamers leave their coins, reopened after a 17-months restoration financed by the Fendi fashion house. (Gregorio Borgia/AP)
As It Happens6:19Rome's iconic Trevi Fountain reopens after 17 month restoration

Fontana di Trevi was made famous to many people outside of Italy when it was featured in Federico Fellini's film, La Dolce Vita. But for the past 17 months, the centuries-old fountain has been partly covered by scaffolding while it was undergoing badly-needed repairs. Today, the waters started flowing again.

"It is absolutely breathtaking," Darius Arya tells As It Happens host Carol Off. "It is unreal."

Darius Arya is an archaeologist and the executive director of the American Institute for Roman Culture. (Darius Arya)

Arya is an archaeologist and the executive director of the American Institute for Roman Culture. He attended the inauguration of the fountain in the afternoon but says the fountain really came to life after dark.

That's when we reached Arya on his mobile phone next to the fountain. He began by describing the effect of the new lighting system.

"It's a more sophisticated light," he explains. "It's much softer. It doesn't detract. You see all the details. They have a lot of extra lights that are added here and there to highlight the actual monument."

The newly restored Trevi Fountain is reflected in its water during the official inauguration in Rome, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015. (Gregorio Borgia/AP)
The landmark fountain was commissioned by Pope Clement XII in 1730. According to Ayra, it was last repaired in the late '90s but the most recent job is much larger in scale. The total cost of the restoration project is estimated to exceed $2 million.
The Trevi fountain, undergoing restoration, is reflected in a clothes shop's window in Rome, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2015. (Gregorio Borgia/AP)

As Ayra explains, ""The structure itself is like about 30 metres high and almost 50 metres across. I mean, this is a big, big monument."

Fendi, the Italian luxury fashion house, paid for the project. The company is funding a number of similar restoration projects in an effort to clean up and renovate historical monuments.

Archaeologist Darius Arya says the restored Trevi Fountain features "more sophisticated light." (Sara White)

​

Ayra says locals and tourists are thrilled to see and hear the fountain flowing again.

"Rome has missed the sound of the water for 17 months - I mean that's crazy," Ayra explains. "You always hear that sound of the water and it's just, you know, you hear it before you see it and then when you're in it...it just envelopes everything. You hear no cars. No sirens. Nothing. Just the water and the people."

Here is the iconic scene from Federico Fellini's, La Dolce Vita that helped put the fountain on the map and make it such a popular tourist attraction:


More from this episode