Rome - Trevi Fountain & Best of the Neighborhood

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Trevi Fountain & Hidden Gems in the Heart of Rome

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Trevi is one of 23 Rioni in Rome and takes its name after the Latin word Trivium, meaning "Three Streets". During the time of ancient Rome, the zone was known for its monumental buildings and private palaces. When Napolean occupied Rome in the early 19th Century, Quirinal Hill in this neighborhood became the center of power in the city.

Today, it is famous for the Trevi Fountain, Madonelle that mark street corners, and various baroque churches.

Locations in this Video

Church of Santa Maria dell'Archetto

Rome’s Smallest Church, A Sanctuary of Miraculous Grace

In the heart of Rione Trevi lies the charming neo-Renaissance sanctuary of Madonna dell’Archetto, Rome's smallest worship space. Built in 1851 by architect Virginio Vespignani, this intimate chapel marks the site where a miraculous painting of the Virgin Mary, commissioned in 1690 by Marquise Alessandra Mellini Muti Papazzurri, was said to have moved its eyes in 1796.

The chapel features a Latin cross interior with a gilded stucco ceiling, marble floors, and angelic caryatid sculptures by Luigi Simonetti. Its dome boasts gilded friezes and paintings by Costantino Brumidi, the artist behind the U.S. Capitol’s dome. A revered national art monument, it has been cared for by the Jesuits and, since 1918, the Primaria Società Cattolica Promotrice di buone Opere.

Basilica dei Santi XII Apostoli

The Crypt of Santi Dodici Apostoli - A Sanctuary of Sts. Philip and James Holy Relics

The early church was founded by Pope Pelagius I in the middle of the 6th Century and was initially only dedicated to the two apostles buried in the crypt. In 1348, an earthquake severely damaged the structure. It was restored by Pope Martin V in the middle of the 15th Century as his family, the Colonna Family, owned major properties in the neighborhood.

It beame a parish church and placed under the care of the Franciscan Conventuals. After Pope Julius II, while a cardinal, comissioned the refurnishment of the facade and an adjacent palace, the church was rededicated to the 12 Apostles in the 16th Century.

Galleria Sciarra

Palazzo Sciarra—A Masterpiece of Glass, Iron, and Frescoed Beauty

After Rome became Italy’s capital, the historic area around Via del Corso and Via delle Vergini was redeveloped, leading to the creation of the Palazzo Sciarra Colonna di Carbognano.

Designed by Giulio De Angelis, this Art Nouveau gem features an iron and glass vault and a stunning entrance gate. Painted by Giuseppe Cellini between 1885-1888, its murals celebrate late 19th-century ideals of women’s roles. Restored in the 1970s, the gallery’s external decorations were preserved while its structure was reinforced.

Trevi Fountain

Trevi—From Pope Nicholas V to Clement XII, Where Every Drop Has a Story

The Trevi Fountain is located near the Quirinal Palace, a former papal residence in the historic center of Rome. The fountain's water source comes from the Aqua Virgo, an ancient aqueduct that was commissioned by Marcus Agrippa in 19 BC to bring fresh drinking water into the city but fell into disrepair after the fall of the Western Roman Empire. The aqueduct was restored by Pope Nicholas V, and the baroque fountain was comissioned by Pope Clement XII in the 18th Century.

The central scene shows Neptune, the god of the sea, surrounded by tritons and sea horses. The site is also famous for tourists tossing coins over their left shoulder in hopes of returning once more to the Eternal City. The coins collected in the Trevi Fountain by the city of Rome are used to help the poor and need in the city.

Piazza del Quirinale

Quirinale Palace—Where Popes, Kings, and Presidents Have Walked

Palazzo del Quirinale is the symbolic home to the Republic of Italy. The Egyptian obelisk at the center of the piazza was originally part of the Temple of Serapis built by Emperor Caracalla in 217 AD. The group of statues surrounding the obelisk is called the Dioscuri, and shows Castor and Pollux guiding horses.