You may have read that right now the Trevi Fountain is drained while they are doing some cleaning/restoration work on it so that it looks its best for the Vatican Jubilee, which begins on December 24. We had some free time on a Saturday morning, so we decided to walk over and see what was going on. After all, it’s basically in our back yard!

In an effort to still have the fountain accessible during its renovation, the Roman authorities have installed a walkway that allows you to walk over the area being cleaned and right up to the statues. It’s free, and no tickets are required. The signs around the fountain proclaim that this is, “a unique opportunity to admire the Trevi Fountain up close.” Yes, it is.

Five minutes after walking out our palazzo, we arrived at the Trevi and joined the line to enter it.

The line moved pretty quickly, and after maybe ten minutes, we walked up the ramp.

Looking down, you can see the drained basins of the fountain.

 

With the basin drained, you can see details you would not normally be able to (or perhaps you just would not notice) if the fountain was operating. For example, there are these lovely plants that would be “growing” out of the basin, as if growing along a pond.

 

The statues above the basin are gleaming white and spectacular.

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s a video of our walk through the Trevi this morning.

Of course, the Trevi Fountain is very special to us, so we are happy to see it being cared for. If you visit the fountain during this period, yes, there is a bath tub sized container of “Trevi water” for you to throw your coins in.