Rome is a beautiful city. When you walk around the eternal city, many things (will) strike you, but one of the neatest things to discover is the multitude of fountains. Rome has more fountains than any other city in the world, and indisputably has some of the most beautiful.
The fountains of Rome are so diverse that each one deserves to be admired, but as there are few Roman piazzas without a fountain, I must choose to tell of ones I favor the most.
 
Fontana della Barcaccia = Fountain of the Worthless Boat
Bernini sculpted a few of the most impressive fountains in Rome, but this one, humorous and with a legend behind it, is my favorite.
At the bottom of the Spanish Steps, at the focal point of Piazza di Spagna, you will find the 'Fontana della Barcaccia', commissioned by Urban VIII (Barberini) and built in 1627 by Bernini.
The humour? The boat is sinking, half submerged and spouting water out from the bow and stern (or just say sides?). Legend says that before the walls along the Tiber were built, the river often flooded and once during a great flood in 1598, a boat was washed ashore and remained in the Piazza after the water drained away.
On the fountain, you can note the ornamentation of the suns and bees, which are the emblems of the Barberini family. Piazza di Spagna is beautiful, but in order to take in its charm, I suggest coming early in the morning to avoid the hundreds and to enjoy it in peace before moving on to other sites or nearby shopping!
 
Fountains in Piazza Navona: Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of the Four Rivers), La Fontana del Moro(Moor Fountain), and Fontana del Nettuno (Neptune Fountain)
Piazza Navona contains three marvelous fountains, two of which are by Bernini.
The 'Fountain of the Four Rivers' was completed in 1651 by Bernini, and is a masterpiece and wonderful representation of Baroque art.
The four marble statues represent four of the major rivers in the world: the Nile, Danube, Plate, and Ganges. A 54 foot Egyptian obelisk is centered above the fountain, topped with a cross containing the Pamphili family's emblem, whose family's palace was on the piazza.
On the Southern end of the piazza is the 'Moor Fountain', also by Bernini. The fountain is of a muscular figure struggling with a dolphin. The original sculptures were moved to Villa Borghese during a restoration in 1874, and replacement copies were made and are on the fountain today.
The basin of the fountain is made of a beautiful rose marble.
 
Giacomo della Porta designed the basin of the 'Neptune Fountain', which was statueless for 300 years until, after a competition was held in 1873 in order to balance the fountains on either end of the piazza. Antonio della Bitta added the sculpture of Neptune wrestling with an octopus, and Gregorio Zappala created the other decorative tritons surrounding it.
There is so much more to say about Piazza Navona, but for now we're just focusing on fountains!
 
Fontana delle Tartarughe = Turtle Fountain
The 'Fountain of the Tortoises' was designed by Giacomo della Porta in 1581 and sculpted by Taddeo Landini. Four bronze boys each rest on a dolphin (which are spurting water into marble shells below) while leaning against the fountain and reaching up to support several bronze turtles drinking from the upper basin of the fountain.
Hard to picture? Best to grasp it in person. The clever and whimsical touch of the tortoises was added in the 17th century by Bernini. The legend of the fountain is that a duke with a gambling problem wished to marry the daughter of a wealthy man who lived in the piazza. To prove his worth to his future father in law, the duke ordered the fountain to be built overnight.
The marriage was allowed, and the duke then had the window overlooking the fountain permanently closed so that no one could ever have the same view of the fountain as had his beloved. Be sure to look up and around the fountain to find the window overlooking the square that was filled with brick!
 
Fontana di Trevi = Trevi Fountain
Trevi Fountain, immortalized by Fellini's La Dolce Vita and the legend of tossing in a coin, is the largest of Rome's fountains and is simply astounding. Turning the corner and coming face to face with this masterpiece will surely be a memorable moment of your time in Rome. Trevi Fountain was built between 1732 and 1762 as a replacement for the first fountain of the Acqua Vergine. The project was supervised by Nicola Salvi and commissioned by Pope Urban XII, Pope Benedict XIV, and Pope Clement XII. Neptune is the central feature of the fountain with tritons on either side.
The tradition of tossing a coin over the left shoulder into the fountain is to assure your return to Rome, however, some say it is enough to drink the Trevi's water to guarantee a return to Rome. (My first few trips to Rome, I did both, and now I live here...) The euro coins that are retrieved go to the city, and all foreign coins go to charity.
A sidenote: In the corner of the square is a small baroque church, the Santi Vincenzo e Anastasio built between 1641 and 1650. You might like to take a peek!
 
Fontana delle Naiadi = Fountain of the Nymphs, Piazza della Repubblica
Right up from the metro stop Repubblica, in the center of the Piazza and large roundabout, is the Fountain of the Nymphs. This is Rome's modern fountain, being commissioned by Pope Pius IX and built between 1870 and 1888.
It was designed by Allesandro Guerrieri, and around its circular basin are four nymphs. Each refer to a different source of water: the Nymph of the Oceans is riding a horse, the Nymph of the Rivers is riding a river monster, the Nyph of the Lakes is holding a swan, and the Nymph of the Underground Waters is seated on a dragon. In the center is the fearless fisherman Glaucus (who was turned into a sea-god) fighting a fish.
 
Fontana del Tritone = Triton Fountain in Piazza Barberini
The 'Fountain of Triton' is a baroque masterpiece by Bernini built in 1643. Four fish support an open clam, a throne for the powerful figure of Triton (half-man, half-fish), who sits holding a conch shell to his lips and blowing water through it.
Unfortunately the fountain is now being restored.
 
Fontana del Pantheon
In the Piazza della Rotonda, directly in front of the magnificent Pantheon, is the Fontana del Pantheon designed by Giacomo della Porta.
Pope Clement XI added the obelisk of Ramses II in 1711. Four dolphins carved by Luigi Amici decorate the base of the center. Right around the corner, to the left of the Pantheon on Piazza della Minerva is Bernini's Elephant and Obelisk. A small Egyptian Obelisk is placed on the back of a marble elephant, possibly a representation of a bit of baroque humor!
 
Drinkable Fountains
Around the city you will surely see many little fountains, or fontanelle, and view people filling up bottles or drinking from them.
This water is fresh, safe, and cold. Save money and refill your water bottle, or plug the end of the spout and water will spurt up through a hole in the top of these Roman water fountains.