Water is once again flowing from Rome's iconic Trevi fountain following a 17-month, €2.2m (£1.6m) restoration project. The 300-year-old monument, a major tourist attraction, had suffered structural damage, with pieces of its cornice falling off after a harsh winter in 2012.
A team of 26 restorers cleaned the fountain, repaired cracks, and reinforced steel supports to prevent further deterioration. The Baroque facade now gleams under new lighting, and water cascades from the base of the sea-god scene once more.
The renovation was funded by Italian fashion house Fendi, which, in return, is permitted to display a plaque near the monument for four years. Fendi also contributed €320,000 to clean the lesser-known Le Quattro Fontane (Four Fountains) in the city.
The Trevi fountain, completed in 1762, is the endpoint of the Acqua Vergine aqueduct, which supplies water from a source discovered in 19 BC. Tourists can drink from a special tap at the side, and the tradition of coin-throwing was popularised by the 1954 film Three Coins in the Fountain.
