The Trevi Fountain (Italian: Fontana di Trevi) is a fountain in
the Trevi district in Rome, Italy, designed by Italian architect
Nicola Salvi and completed by Pietro Bracci. Standing 26.3
metres (86 ft) high and 49.15 metres (161.3 ft) wide,[1] it is
the largest Baroque fountain in the city and one of the most
famous fountains in the world. The fountain has appeared in
several notable films, including Federico Fellini's La Dolce
Vita.
The fountain at the junction of three roads (tre vie)[2] marks
the terminal point[3] of the "modern" Acqua Vergine, the revived
Aqua Virgo, one of the aqueducts that supplied water to ancient
Rome. In 19 BC, supposedly with the help of a virgin, Roman
technicians located a source of pure water some 13 km (8.1 mi)
from the city. (This scene is presented on the present
fountain's façade.) However, the eventual indirect route of the
aqueduct made its length some 22 km (14 mi). This Aqua Virgo led
the water into the Baths of Agrippa. It served Rome for more
than 400 years.[4]
Legend holds that in 19 BC thirsty Roman soldiers were guided
by a young girl to a source of pure water thirteen kilometers
from the city of Rome. The discovery of the source led Augustus
to commission the construction of a twenty-two kilometer
aqueduct leading into the city, which was named Aqua Virgo, or
Virgin Waters, in honor of the legendary young girl. The
aqueduct served the hot Baths of Agrippa, and Rome, for over
four hundred years.
Piazza Navona (pronounced [ˈpjattsa naˈvoːna]) is a piazza in Rome,
Italy. It is built on the site of the Stadium of Domitian, built in
1st century AD, and follows the form of the open space of the
stadium.[1] The ancient Romans went there to watch the agones
("games"), and hence it was known as "Circus Agonalis"
("competition arena"). It is believed that over time the name
changed to in avone to navone and eventually to navona.
Defined as a public space in the last years of 15th century, when
the city market was transferred there from the Campidoglio, the
Piazza Navona was transformed into a highly significant example of
Baroque Roman architecture and art during the pontificate of
Innocent X, who reigned from 1644 until 1655, and whose family
palace, the Palazzo Pamphili, faced the piazza. It features
important sculptural and architectural creations: in the center
stands the famous Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi or Fountain of the Four
Rivers (1651) by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, topped by the Obelisk of
Domitian, brought in pieces from the Circus of Maxentius;[2] the
church of Sant'Agnese in Agone by Francesco Borromini, Girolamo
Rainaldi, Carlo Rainaldi and others; and the aforementioned Pamphili
palace, also by Girolamo Rainaldi, that accommodates the long
gallery designed by Borromini and frescoed by Pietro da Cortona.[3]
Piazza Navona has two other fountains. At the southern end is the
Fontana del Moro with a basin and four Tritons sculpted by Giacomo
della Porta (1575) to which, in 1673, Bernini added a statue of a
Moor, or African, wrestling with a dolphin. At the northern end is
the Fountain of Neptune (1574) also created by Giacomo della Porta;
the statue of Neptune, by Antonio Della Bitta, was added in 1878 to
create a balance with La Fontana del Moro.
The Colosseum or Coliseum, also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre
(/kɒləˈsiːəm/ kol-ə-see-əm; Latin: Amphitheatrum Flavium; Italian:
Anfiteatro Flavio [anfiteˈatro ˈflavjo] [äɱːfit̪eˈäːt̪ro ˈfläːvjo] or
Colosseo [kolosˈsɛo] [koloˈs̪ːɛːo]), is an elliptical amphitheatre
in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy. Built of concrete and
stone,[1] it is the largest amphitheatre ever built and is
considered one of the greatest works of architecture and
engineering.[2]
The Colosseum is situated just east of the Roman Forum. Construction
began under the emperor Vespasian in 72 AD,[3] and was completed in
80 AD under his successor and heir Titus.[4] Further modifications
were made during the reign of Domitian (81–96).[5] These three
emperors are known as the Flavian dynasty, and the amphitheatre
was named in Latin for its association with their family name
(Flavius).
The Colosseum could hold, it is estimated, between 50,000 and 80,000
spectators,[6][7] and was used for gladiatorial contests and public
spectacles such as mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions,
re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on Classical
mythology. The building ceased to be used for entertainment in the
early medieval era. It was later reused for such purposes as
housing, workshops, quarters for a religious order, a fortress, a
quarry, and a Christian shrine.
