This discussion about the Trevi fountain is already lengthy and complicated, and to add to this, is can be said that the Trevi Fountain was a fountain that actually belonged in the previous century. There are many quotations from authors that would agree to this point, and in the words of only one that basically sums up the entire arguments, the Trevi is “a 17th century work of art in the following century”. The opinion of the experts is that Salvi would have built a fountain that for all architectural and historical perspectives belonged in the 17th century. But if you did an experiment where you went and asked 100 Romans who created the Trevi Fountain, it is very probable that every one of them would say Bernini. As discussed earlier, Gian Lorenzo had plans to set the fountain between the wings of the two existing palazzi, which he wanted to refinish to match one another. However, this would not create any continuity between the fountain and its two sides.
Based on numerous documents and sketches, it is clear that many popes tried to solve the problem of the Trevi fountain. Three attempts were made one after the other, then a short gap existed during Pope Innocent X, and then the attempts were picked back up. It is during the reign of Innocent X, that a finely detailed sketch was made, which was found in the Lanciano Collection. It was delicately tinted and of considerable size, made with a very fine pen.
The sketch is of a two story building with very long wings. There are eight windows that alternate with an equal number of flat Corinthian pilasters that rest on a shallow foundation. The windows on the upper story, under a small balustrade, have framed recesses. There are eight statues on each wing above the pediment, featuring mythological figures that correspond to the pilasters below.
