Do you want to know more on the Trevi Fountain and the legend of the “asso di coppe”? The Trevi Fountain, like many other historical monuments in Rome, is known for many legends. Among these, there is a very famous one connected with one of the sculptures. This sculpture is known as the “asso di coppe” due to its resemblance to one of the typical Italian playing cards. The sculpture looks like an acorn. Come to Rome, we’ll take you to see the Colosseum and the Vatican museums. And we’ll tell you more on the Trevi Fountain and all about the stories and legends like the one ofn the “asso di coppe”.
Fontana di Trevi and the Legend of the “asso di coppe”
Where does the legend of the “asso di coppe” come from?
Nobody knows where the legend began. Many say that the sculpture called “asso di coppe” is a little strange and does not fit with the rest of the decoration of the fountain. The Trevi Fountain, the work of the great architect Nicola Salvi, clashes completely with the “asso di coppe”.
This story takes place in 1732, when Nicola Salvi was busy working on the simple Acqua Vergine fountain in Piazza di Trevi. During the work, local inhabitants, shopkeepers, and artisans used to watch the progress of the work with curiosity, sometimes having their say about the design and the state of the art of the fountain.
What is the legend all about?
Among them was a barber who had his shop on the ground floor of Palazzo Castellani, just to the right of the fountain. This barber – whose name is unknown – used to speak his mind out quite plainly to Salvi about the project and the state of the art. He constantly criticised the architect. The criticisms must have become unbearable for Salvi. He therefore, decided to put an end to this situation. He decided to make a large sculpture and place it right in front of the barber’s shop. This would have blocked his view! The “asso di coppe”!! The vase looks very much like one of the symbols on very common Italian playing cards, and like an acorn.
We do not know what the barber allegedly criticised Salvi for. But we do know that the Roman architect’s work is recognised worldwide as a great masterpiece of art. The small detail he added to keep the barber out of sight, just adds to the beauty and the mystery of the fountain.
Come to Rome, we’ll take you to see the Colosseum and the Vatican museums. We’ll tell you more about the Trevi Fountain. We’ll tell you all about the stories and legends like the one of the “asso di coppe”. Come to Rome… come and #feeltheessence.
