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AlUla Province Kicks off the Summer Fruit Season

The Summer Fruit Season kicked off on Thursday in AlUla Province. (SPA)
The Summer Fruit Season kicked off on Thursday in AlUla Province. (SPA)
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AlUla Province Kicks off the Summer Fruit Season

The Summer Fruit Season kicked off on Thursday in AlUla Province. (SPA)
The Summer Fruit Season kicked off on Thursday in AlUla Province. (SPA)

The Summer Fruit Season kicked off on Thursday in AlUla Province, offering a variety of the finest local produce at the farmers' market in Al-Manshiyah Square, and will continue until July 24, the Saudi Press Agency said.
Organized by the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU), the Summer Fruit Season is a marketing tool for agricultural products. It raises awareness among farmers of the importance of durable agricultural practices that positively impact product quality and production abundance, added SPA.
AlUla is famous for producing the finest mangoes, grapes, figs, and dates, in addition to Arabic frankincense, one of the traditional plants highly valued for its medicinal and cosmetic uses.
On its first day, the farmers' market in Al-Manshiyah Square witnessed an increasing number of visitors from different nationalities, who came to participate in its events and buy from its various exhibits and products.

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A Rare Peek at the Hidden Waterworks behind Rome’s Trevi Fountain

A view of Rome's Trevi fountain is seen through a window of its old water flow control room, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP)
A view of Rome's Trevi fountain is seen through a window of its old water flow control room, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP)
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A Rare Peek at the Hidden Waterworks behind Rome’s Trevi Fountain

A view of Rome's Trevi fountain is seen through a window of its old water flow control room, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP)
A view of Rome's Trevi fountain is seen through a window of its old water flow control room, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP)

The Trevi Fountain, arguably the world’s most famous, has graced screens for decades, from Fellini’s “La Dolce Vita” to Netflix’s “Emily in Paris.” Each year, millions of visitors push through Rome's narrow streets to gaze at the towering Titan god flanked by falls cascading into a turquoise pool.

Yet, they never get to venture behind Oceanus’ back to see what produces the sublime play of water in the baroque masterpiece.

Wooden doors on an adjacent street lead to the maneuvering chambers that control the fountain's water supply, coming from the Aqua Virgo — an ancient Roman aqueduct 16 kilometers (10 miles) away. Two electric pumps recycle 126 liters (33 gallons) of water per second while Rome’s water management company, ACEA, carefully monitors the flow around the clock.

This precise amount is crucial for the movement of water through the statues; a little more or less, and it wouldn’t work, said Davide D’Alonzo, ACEA’s manager for the area.

The modern maneuvering chamber features metal tanks and lighted panels. In the original, arched chamber, water audibly rushes through a thick pipe and there is a functional, 18th-century hydrometer to gauge the fountain’s water level.

A large, rudimentary spreadsheet on the wall displays the names of rich Roman families whose homes received water from the chamber long ago; when they fell behind on their payments, their supply was cut off.

The chamber's grated windows grant views out over the fountain and its many visitors — all of whom are oblivious to its hidden waterworks. They toss coins over their shoulders into the water, a hopeful gesture based on a legend that it guarantees their return to the eternal city.