Submitted by Courtney Dill on the 2017 winter session program in Italy sponsored by the Department of English…
Upon our first day in Rome, we embarked on a walking tour of Rome which consisted of a number of important historical sites, one of which was the Trevi Fountain. For most people who don’t recall this site, they might have encountered it from the Lizzie McGuire movie. This stop on the tour stood out to me especially because of it’s grand nature and the cultural traditions that accompanied it. This was the first time abroad for me, and the first time encountering another culture as a foreigner. Upon the initial shock of seeing the fountain, our tour guide explained to us that it was a Roman tradition to toss a coin with you right hand across your heart (left shoulder) for it is believed then that you will one day return to Rome. He explained also that all the coins went to charity, a wonderful cause. When first approaching the fountain, we saw dozens of people rushing to line up before the fountain to participate and record the picturesque moment. We also saw the government officials collecting coins for charity. As a group, we all forged our way to the fountain’s facade and each participated in this beautiful Roman, yet foreign and enticing, tradition.
