Trevi Fountain
This fountain is one of the most majestic and characteristic fountains of Rome. It is incorporated in the center of the Palazzo Poli. The water comes from an aqueduct which was originally constructed by Agrippa, the great patron of the arts in the first century BCE. Adorned with bas relief and statues that rise above a mound of rocks, it was designed to use the stagnant water that pooled in the piazza. Despite the initial plan by Bernini, Nicolo Salvi finished the fountain during the papacy of Clement XII around 1750. Many artists from the Bernini school also worked on it. Inspired by the victory arches and by Roman mythology, the Trevi Fountain exemplifies the Baroque style. One admires the harmonious fusion between the architecture of the building and sculpture itself, while the presence of nature stands out in every aspect of the work. To ensure that one returns to Rome, tradition dictates that one throws a coin in the fountain.

Fountain of Four Rivers
Surrounded by the beautiful architecture of Piazza Navona, the fountain of the Four Rivers is one of the most celebrated of Roman fountains. Many famous sculptors participated in its conception and construction, and today it is considered a masterpiece of Baroque sculpture. One of these sculptors was Gian Lorenzo Bernini who worked on it from 1647 to 1651. A tall Egyptian obelisk from the Imperial Roman Circus Maximus dominates the structure, and the fountain is known and named for its four white marble statues—each five meters high, and each representing rivers in the four parts of the known world at that time: the Nile, the Ganges, the Plata, and the Danube. The statue of the Nile symbolizes the African continent, and was created by Antonio Fancell; Claudio Poussin sculpted the statue of the Ganges which represents Asia; Francesco Baratta made the statue for the Plata River (Rio de la Plata in Uruguay, South America) which symbolizes the Americas; and Antonio Raggi created the statue of the Danube, symbol of the European continent. A rich variety of flora and fauna near each figure is also representative of each of the continents. Bernini sculpted the palm tree, the lion, and the horse which adorn the four statues and the large rocks on which they sit. Finally, on top of the obelisk, there is a golden cross and a dove with an olive branch. The coat of arms is that of the Pamphilj family and Pope Innocentius X, who sponsored the work.

Triton Fountain
Situated in Piazza Barberini, this fountain is a work by Bernini, like the majority of Roman fountains. It was created around 1640 for Pope Urban VIII, a member of the Barberini family. Four dolphins support the Barberini coat of arms, which consists of three bees. A triton blows a conch shell and sits on a large scallop shell.

The Fountains of St. Peter's
Within St. Peter’s Square there are two seventeenth-century fountains. Their design is the same, and each sprays tall cascades of water. Carlo Maderno built the older of the two in 1614 by commission of Pope Paolo V. This is the fountain on the right side of the piazza if one stands facing the basilica. On this fountain one finds the Borghese family’s coat of arms and an eagle. The other fountain was designed by Bernini, and was commissioned by Pope Alexander VII.  However, it was Pope Innocenzo XI who dedicated it. On this fountain, one finds Pope Clement X’s coat of arms (who was the pope when the work was completed), and two twisted dolphins.

Sant’Andrea della Valle Fountain
The beautiful baroque Sant’Andrea della Valle fountain is found near the church of the same name. The church was erected between 1591 and 1665, and Fra Grimaldi, Giacomo della Porta, Carlo Maderno, and Carlo Rainaldi worked on it. Maderno constructed the large dome between 1622 and 1625—the highest in Rome after the dome of St. Peter’s. The beautiful frescoes of the dome are by Domenichino and Giovanni Lanfranco. In the vast, majestic interior, one can also find the fourth-century tombs of Popes Pius II and Pius III of the Piccolomini family.

Barcaccia Fountain
One can find the Barcaccia fountain in the Piazza di Spagna, one of the most beautiful piazzas in Rome. Commissioned by Pope Urbanus VIII Barberini between 1627 and 1629, it was built to commemorate the Tiberian flood of 1598. The current fountain’s location is where a boat was found after the floodwaters receded. Pietro Bernini, father of the famous Gian Lorenzo Bernini, was chosen to design and construct it. They were able to find a way to deal with the problems of little available water pressure. Bernini decided to build the tub in the shape of a symmetrical boat whose stern and bow are identical. The boat is half-submerged and slightly below ground level in order to give the illusion that the boat is sinking.  This is symbolic of the temporality of one’s own life that drowns at the in death. The fountain efficiently utilizes water pressure because the water flows to both the stern and the bow. Note the sun and the bees found on the fountain to honor its papal commissioner.