Frequently asked questions. What’s all this about?

  1. What is the idea?
  2. Who are you?
  3. Is this a joke or are you serious?
  4. How did you come up with the idea?
  5. Where does this money go?
  6. How are you planning on doing this?
  7. When will you throw the coins?
  8. Why one dollar?
  9. What is the wishing wall?

What is the idea?

Flood the Trevi Fountain with tons and tons of coins that people can throw from all around the world.

Who are you?

My name is Benjamín E. and I’m 29 years old. I am restless and a bit eccentric (well, I don’t think that’s a bad thing, haha). Last year, I took a trip to Rome and one of the many places I visited was the Trevi Fountain, a monument that swept me away.

Is this a joke or are you serious?

First of all, I want to make this really clear, what is being proposed in the web is completely serious, it’s not a joke.

How did you come up with the idea?

I saw that the Trevi Fountain was annually visited by millions of tourists. One of its attractions is the famous tradition of throwing a coin in the water while making a wish, since it is said to bring good luck. So I thought, nowadays almost everything can be done through the Internet. Why not do this from my own house?


Where does this money go?

(City Council personnel picking up the coins at dawn) More photos.

The money is collected by city hall workers, managed by Caritas and is used to finance the help provided to Rome’s most unfortunate people, like for example offering food to the poor or homeless and creating a free supermarket for those who can justify their need for this type of help..So I thought: why not throw them online? In this way, I make the illusion of many people come true and further help the poor.

How are you planning on doing this?

I will personally travel to Rome and walk over to the Trevi Fountain to carry out the throwing of the coins sent by all of you. This event will be documented and uploaded in Youtube in order to prove its veracity. Moreover, we will set a new record of coins deposited at a single time in the fountain. The money will be changed to euros in coins of 0,20€ (I didn’t choose a higher value coin to avoid people trying to steal during the action), and depending on the Dollar/Euro exchange rate, the amount of coins will be about 33.700 with an approximate weight of 418 lbs !! We are going to set a new record, are you in?

When will you throw the coins?

Every time 100.000 persons have made their contribution, I will travel to Rome. The web page shows a meter on the upper right hand of the home page which makes a countdown of the remaining coins that must be thrown.

Why one dollar?

Because I believe it is the best known currency world-wide. If I asked for a smaller amount, the project would not be possible since I have to discount a big commission for the way of payment, web maintenance, taxes, trip to Rome... For each 100.000 persons throwing a coin, we guarantee 10.000 $ deposited in the fountain.

What is the wishing wall?

According to tradition, a wish is made while throwing the coin. Therefore, if you want, you may publish your wish in the wishing wall after throwing the coin.