84 ROME SILENT BEAUTY THE TREVI FOUNTAIN, WHICHWAS DESIGNED BY A GREAT, ALBEIT RATHER UNKNOWN, EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY ARTIST NAMED NICOLA SALVI, IS SAID TO BE ONE OF THE PREFERRED SITES TO VISIT IN THE CITY. IT IS A FOUNTAIN AND AT THE SAME TIME A PIAZZAWHERE THE VISITOR ARRIVES, SPEAKS, OBSERVES, PAUSES, AND THEN TOSSES IN A COIN FOR GOOD LUCK—AND A HAPPY LIFE THAT WILL BE LONG ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO RETURN HERE IN THE FUTURE. THIS IS WHAT THE FAMOUS SONG ARRIVEDERCI ROMA (1954) BY RENATO RASCEL IS ABOUT, AND THIS IS ALSO UNDERSCORED BY THE TIMELESS SCENE IN FELLINI’S LA DOLCE VITA (1960). THAT IS THE MOMENT WHEN ANITA ECKBERGWADES INTO THE POOL AS THOUGH IT WERE A LAKE OR A BAPTISMAL FONT, TRANSFORMING ANOSTENTATIOUS AND PROFANE MOMENT INTO SACRED AND ENCHANTEDMEDITATION, A REVERIE FROMWHICH, ALAS, WE ARE SOON REAWAKENED.
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