The fate of the coins in the Trevi Fountain, Rome

Legend says that if you toss a coin with your right hand over your left shoulder into the Trevi Fountain, you will return to Rome, but few people pay attention to the 'fate' of those coins.

‘Số phận’ của những đồng xu ở đài phun nước Trevi, Rome

The Trevi Fountain is a must-see landmark when traveling to Rome (Italy), one of the most visited cities in the world with 21 million tourists per year. Inaugurated in 1762, the Trevi Fountain is situated against a wall of the Palazzo Poli in the heart of Rome. The structure features a statue of Triton, son of the sea god Poseidon, controlling the seashell chariot of the ocean god Oceanus, depicting the theme of taming the waters. (Source: Sophisticated Travel)

This structure also appears in the most famous scene of Federico Fellini's 1960 film La Dolce Vita , a work that brought Italian cinema to the world stage by winning the Palme d'Or at the 1960 Cannes Film Festival and an Oscar. In the film, American film star Sylvia (played by actress Anita Ekberg) wades into the fountain after midnight, waving to Marcello Mastroianni, a reporter who hunts for sensitive and sensational news, to join her. However, scooping coins from the fountain and wading inside is now prohibited. Violators will be fined. (Source: Twitter)

For hundreds of years, visitors to Rome have flocked to the fountain to throw coins as a long-standing ritual. Legend says that if you throw a coin over your left shoulder into the fountain with your right hand, you will return to Rome. Later, people adopted this method to make personal wishes. (Source: thegroundtruth.blog)

Carola, a tourist from Chile, said she came here to toss a coin because she wanted to return to Rome and prayed to find true love. Yuting, a tourist from China, shared: “I heard that if I toss two coins, my wish will come true. That’s why I did it.” The photo shows Carola throwing a coin into the Trevi Fountain. (Source: Reuters)

The coins that tourists throw into the fountain carry wishes for love, health, or a chance to return to the Eternal City. However, few know that these coins also provide practical help to people the tourists may never have met. The photo shows coins collected from the Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy. (Source: Reuters)

Today, to avoid waste, those prayer coins carry a special mission. They are collected and taken to the headquarters of the global Catholic charity Caritas in Rome. There, they count each bucketful of coins and use them to fund food "banks," soup kitchens, and social welfare projects. In the photo, two sanitation workers, Alexio Cola and Claudio Cubeta, collect coins at the Trevi Fountain. (Source: Reuters)

To inform visitors about this meaningful activity, signs have been installed around the fountain announcing the coin "harvest" and its intended use. In 2022, Caritas collected 1.4 million Euros from the Trevi Fountain. This figure is expected to be even higher in 2023. (Source: Reuters)

Francesco Prisco, manager of the environmental sanitation company ACEA, said four workers from the unit collect coins twice a week. The fountain is drained for cleaning twice a month. “The collection and cleaning are being done as quickly as possible to minimize downtime of the fountain,” Prisco said. The photo shows sanitation workers gathering the coins. (Source: Reuters)

It wasn't just coins that were recovered from the fountain; workers also found jewelry, dentures, religious medals, and even umbilical cords from infants. Items that can be reused or recycled, such as jewelry, will be donated to charity. (Source: Reuters)

After the coins are swept up into a long line, they are sucked up by a hose and taken to the Caritas office, where volunteers from the organization spread them on a large table to dry and sort them. In the photo, 63-year-old volunteer Enrico Chiolini sorts and dries a bucket of coins at the Caritas office in Rome. (Source: Reuters)

After being categorized and tallied, this money will be used to support people in need. Specifically, near Rome's main train station is a Caritas supermarket (called an Emporium), which provides food for the poor, which they can purchase using tokens on their cards. The photo shows a bread section in the Emporium. (Source: Reuters)

Caritas volunteer Simonetta Lanzi slices cheese at Emporium, a supermarket funded by proceeds from the Trevi Fountain. (Source: Reuters)

According to Domenico, a resident of Rome, he used to be a blacksmith but later lost his job. His arthritis made it difficult for him to find new work. Fortunately, there are places like Emporium. (Source: Reuters)

Another man, Luigi, shared: “I used to be a construction worker and also owned a video surveillance system company before losing my job. Places like Emporium provide practical help.” Pictured is a cart full of essential food supplies at Caritas Emporium. (Source: Reuters)

Day and night, crowds of tourists gather around the Trevi Fountain to pose for photos and toss coins. These coins carry both their wishes and a special, meaningful purpose. Yula Cole, a tourist from Brazil, said she came hoping her wish would come true. “I learned that these coins don’t just sit idly in the fountain; they help those in need. I prayed for my wish and hoped that this money would also help fulfill someone else’s wish,” Cole said. (Source: AFP/Getty Images)

(according to Al Jazeera)

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