What were the judges looking for in the design of the Trevi Fountain?
Now, you have every right to ask, “How on earth did that age-old problem come to such an unexpected end?” As there is a complete absence of documentation, no definite answer comes immediately to hand; however, I believe the reasons for the last-minute preference and final choice of the design by the Roman, Nicola Salvi, can be fully understood from what we shall see next.
In referring to the competition for the façade of St. John Lateran (which was announced at the same time as the competition for the Trevi), in which Salvi, Vanvitelli and Galilei took part along with many others, Milizia wrote: “The adjudication for St. John was carried out by academicians from Saint Luke’s in the hall of the Quirinale. In his personal memoirs, Vanvitelli says that his designs were selected as well as one by Salvi; but the Pope was informed that the votes had been equal and that as Galilei was a national his design deserved preference; so the Trevi fountain was given to Salvi and the port of Ancona to him [Galilei]”. Therefore, according to Vanvitelli’s own words, although he had produced the best designs for both competitions, in the end the work for St. John Lateran was given to Galilei because he was a fellow-countryman of the Pope, and the Trevi was given to Salvi, although no reason for the latter preference is stated. Very likely a certain amount of “like sticking to like” was at work in a vote that was as wavering and undecided as that of the panel judging the St. John Lateran competition.
However, it would be absurd to actually believe that Galilei won just because he came from the same place as the Pope. On the contrary, as has been explained very clearly, the judges were looking for the design (which had to be huge) that could be best adapted to the requirements of the structure Borromini had left unfinished. According to general opinion (or rumour), whether or not in favour of Borromini, it was said that the only possible winner was the design that kept closest to the spirit and style of that great architect of the previous century. This, then, was the real and fundamental motive that led the judges, and therefore Clement XII, to prefer Galilei’s design, despite the fact that the one by Vanvitelli may have been more pleasing when taken solely on its own merit.
Now the question arises, “Might not the same thing have happened in the Trevi competition? Even if the panel preferred one or more of Vanvitelli’s ideas, might they not eventually have chosen Nicola Salvi’s design because it was closer to the spirit, if not the models, left by Gian Lorenzo? In that case, even after their deaths, with the help (whether to a greater or lesser extent intentional or direct) of their disciples, the two great rivals of the previous century, Bernini and Borromini, persisted in continuing their battle and as always, wherever one put in an appearance, the other also wanted to be in the limelight. Back to Trevi Completion Home Page...
