T Coins in the Fountain

Rome, Italy - I have a good friend who studies politicians. If he were elected mayor, he says, he would put a fabulous fountain in every plaza. He assures me that this is the most effective way to win the loyalty of the electorate.

It appears that my friend's political pointers have been taken to heart, as the Roman piazzi and parks are filled with flowing fountains, each with its own story:

Piazza Navona

The centerpiece of the Piazza Navona is the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi, or Fountain of the Four Rivers. Bertnini's masterpiece personifies the Nile, the Ganges, the Danube and the Plate, surrounding an Egyptian obelisk. Unfortunately, it was covered with scaffolding while we were there. So we amused ourselves with the smaller scale fountains at either end: Fontana del Moro, featuring four Tritons, the Greek god who was supposed to be the son of Poseidon and messenger from the sea; and Fontana del Nettuno, featuring Neptune himself. This is one of the Tritons and his devilish dolphin friends.

Borghese Gardens

Read your guidebook, girls and boys! It will inform you when it is necessary to make advance reservations at a museum, as is the case at the Villa Borghese. If you don't read it carefully, you may find yourself spending the day wandering around the surrounding gardens.

Of course, this is not the worst outcome. Frankly, the Borghese gardens present a pretty pleasant alternative to the gallery, especially on a spectacular spring Saturday. We watched the dogs romping in the off-leash zone. Then we rented bikes and rode around taking pictures of the sculptures and statury. This is another beauty by Bernini, with four wild seahorses rearing up out of the water. "An enchanter's wand has checked the horses in mid-career, and here they remain, motionless, for all their movement..." (http://www.garden-fountains.us/)

Piazza San Pietro

Two twins frame the obelisk at the center of St Peter's Square, with the Cathedral as the backdrop. Apparently these two fountains have been flowing pretty much non-stop since they were constructed in the 17th century. The tradition of fluvius non-interrompus dates back to Roman times, when all fountains were built with two tanks to ensure that the water would never cease.

Trevi Fountain

This Roman icon also depicts Neptune, Tritons and seahorses, all frolicking in the waves. The place was swarming with tourists. Apparently every visitor wants to toss a coin over the shoulder and into the fountain to ensure that they will return to Roman. I didn't have a coin on hand, but I did find a T-token which I thought would do the trick. I later read that the coins are collected on a weekly basis and donated to charity - an amount that averages about 1500 euros a day. It's unlikely that anybody will be able to use my T-token now that we have Charlie Cards in Boston. I hope that does not invalidate my toss!