Fontana di Santa Maria in Trastevere

Possibly the oldest fountain in Rome, with origins going back to the 8th century. Legend says oil welled up here at the moment of Christ's birth — the fons olei — giving the adjacent church its early name of Santa Maria in fontibus. Restored multiple times by Bramante, Bernini, and Carlo Fontana, it's now the heart of Trastevere's nightlife: locals and visitors alike sit on its octagonal steps every evening with a beer or a gelato, listening to street musicians.