Entry is through the central staircase with exit on Via dei Crociferi. Capacity is limited to about four hundred people at a time. Opening hours are 9:00 to 21:00 with last entry at 20:30. On Mondays and Fridays the morning is closed for coin collection or cleaning.

Every summer someone still jumps in to cool off, but the fine can hit 500 euros. The fountain may look inviting, yet the only ones allowed in the water are the coins.

Throwing a coin into the pool is a ritual. One coin means a return to Rome, two coins mean love, three coins mean marriage. Use your right hand over your left shoulder.

The piazza is packed for most of the day and at midday it can be impossible to even see the water. Early morning and late evening are the only times when it feels less overwhelming.

The most famous fountain in Rome and one of the most photographed in the world. A wall of marble with statues bursting from the stone and water cascading into a turquoise pool. The effect is closer to theatre than to architecture and the square feels alive with it.