For truly spectacular water features, modern resorts such as Las Vegas are pushing the boundaries of water art to the extreme in creating dramatic and impressive displays. Whilst the scale is clearly breathtaking, it is nigh on impossible to match the sense of great art achieved by one of the world’s most famous fountains, the Trevi Fountain in Rome.

Designed as an entry in an architectural competition held by Pope Clement XII in 1732, the fountain was eventually completed in 1762. Unfortunately this was to be after the death of the designer, Niccolo Salvi.
Part of the impressive nature of the Trevi is the sheer scale, coupled with the fact that the fountain is actually squeezed into a very small square. The backdrop for the fountain is the Palazzo Poli and features statues of Neptune flanked by Health and Abundance with attending marine horses and tritons. With such a dramatic backdrop and a thunderous roar of water, all in such a confined space, this truly is a sensory feast to behold. Albeit, most likely from within a very dense crowd.

The waters for the fountain are provided by an ancient underground aqueduct which also provides water to other fountains around the city of Rome.