Visitors at Trevi Fountain in Rome, where for decades people have tossed coins into the water over their shoulders for good luck. — ©2025 The New York Times Company
THERE’s a good chance that many first-time visitors to the Trevi Fountain in Rome know the ritual. Legend has it that tossing a coin over the left shoulder with the right hand, while standing with your back to the water, ensures a return to the Eternal City.
The practice became famous worldwide after the 1954 film Three Coins in the Fountain and its Oscar-winning song performed by Frank Sinatra.
