Rome’s Fontana di Trevi Gets an Update

Rome’s Fontana di Trevi has long attracted crowds of admirers—and fistfuls of change from starry-eyed wishmakers. (Local legend holds that anyone who throws a coin into the water will be blessed with a return to Italy’s glorious capital.) Recently, however, some very good fortune has come to the fountain itself. The Baroque beauty, designed by architect Nicola Salvi and completed by sculptor Pietro Bracci in 1762, was the beneficiary of a $2.4 million upgrade sponsored by Fendi, as part of the fashion giant’s ongoing campaign to refresh fountains across the city. Dozens of skilled artisans spent 17 months restoring the Fontana di Trevi’s intricate stonework and installing a state-of-the-art LED lighting system that gives the marvel a little extra magic come dusk.

See more photos of the fountain below.