The marvellous Trevi fountain has been used again as a backdrop for a protest: newspaper La Repubblica reported today that a man climbed inside the fountain saying he wanted to commit suicide. He is the same man who was arrested few years ago for stealing the coins from the fountain. 

This is just the latest of a series of actions that utilized the fame of this historical monument to draw media attention.

In 2008 Alitalia employees protested in front of the monument and entered the fountain to sink in the waters a model airplane with Alitalia colors.

Still in 2008 another protest, this time against proposed cuts in public funding to an agency protecting children’s rights.

As you may expect these actions are done mostly during summer.

In 2006 Greenpeace activists posted a banner to focus media attention on the excess of the fishing industry in the Mediterranean. The protest included a woman in mermaid suite trapped in a fishing net (if you look carefully you can spot it under the banner).

But probably the most spectacular actions of all was made in 2007 when a man poured red color in the water. The result was quite fascinating and could have been envisioned in one of Dario Argento’s horror movies. Luckily the paint did no damage to the monument and was quickly cleaned-up. 

Passed are the times when Federico Fellini filmed Anita Ekberg bathing at night in the fountain. It was 1960, when he made La Dolce Vita, one of the most beautiful movies of all times. 

Regardless of what is happening over time in and around the fountain, it remains a wonderful monument, pictured infinite times by tourists coming from all over the world, who are still throwing in the water the coin that will guarantee that they will come again to Rome 

You can visit the Trevi fountain with our Heart of Rome walking tour