Contrary to what might be assumed, the amount collected from coins thrown into the Trevi Fountain is not appropriated by the mayor of Rome; it is entirely destined for charitable purposes.
Contrary to what might be assumed, the amount collected from coins thrown into the Trevi Fountain is not appropriated by the mayor of Rome; it is entirely destined for charitable purposes.
Since 2005, the funds have been donated to Caritas, an organization belonging to the Catholic Church that coordinates more than 160 entities and operates in various nations. In 2023, Caritas received approximately two million euros (equivalent to R$ 11 million) from the Trevi Fountain.
ACEA employees, responsible for managing water and energy supply in Rome, vacuum the coins from the bottom of the fountain twice a week. Before being transported to the Caritas headquarters, the coins are weighed in the presence of city police officers.
At the institution's headquarters, the coins undergo a drying process and are organized on a table. Staff remove any impurities or discarded foreign objects, such as keychains and costume jewelry. A specific machine is used to separate euros from other coins, and all foreign currency is exchanged at a currency exchange office.
The institution uses these resources in social projects, such as food security initiatives. These initiatives include soup kitchens that distribute meals and the Emporium supermarket, where vulnerable individuals can purchase food using token cards.
The fountain attracts about 30 thousand visitors daily, being one of the most famous tourist attractions in the city. According to popular belief, the visitor should throw a coin with their right hand, with their back to the fountain and over their left shoulder, expecting to return to Rome in the future. Furthermore, people often add their own wishes when throwing the coin.
However, the large flow of people at the Trevi Fountain has become a challenge for Rome, one of the most frequented metropolises globally. For this reason, since February of this year, the city hall has implemented a two-euro fee for those who wish to approach the tourist site and throw a coin, aiming to restrict visitation to a maximum of 400 people simultaneously.
Toyota has been producing residences in Japan using the assembly line methodology since the 1970s. These homes are not built with masonry, but rather with three-dimensional steel modules that leave the factory in an almost finished state. After being transported by truck to the site, these modules are assembled with the help of cranes.
According to the automaker, the total time for a house to be ready is approximately 45 days, which is less than half the time required for a traditional wooden construction in the country.
The difference lies in transferring most of the work to the factory environment. About 85% of the production takes place inside the factory, where each steel unit, measuring about 14 m², receives finishes such as walls, windows, and electrical and plumbing installations before being shipped.
A medium-sized residence in Japan requires about 12 of these modules, which are arranged on the construction site like pieces of a set.
In addition to the construction method, the structure of the houses undergoes rigorous tests that replicate earthquake conditions, a procedure analogous to impact tests performed on motor vehicles. Furthermore, anti-corrosion treatments originally developed for cars are applied. This process underpins the structural warranty of up to 60 years offered by the company.
This warranty period holds significant meaning in the Japanese context, as conventional wooden houses tend to be demolished and rebuilt on average every 30 years, thus doubling the expected service life of the residence.
Toyota established its housing division in August 1975 and began marketing properties under the Toyota Home brand in February 1977. The origin of this initiative is credited to Kiichiro Toyoda, founder of the automotive division, who showed interest in precast concrete techniques decades earlier. He passed away in 1952, more than twenty years before the real estate venture emerged.
Even after nearly half a century of operation, the real estate segment has maintained a smaller scale compared to the automotive sector. In 2019, the company registered the sale of just over 10,000 single-family homes across all its lines, in a Japanese market where prefabrication is still a minority, as most consumers prefer hiring local carpenters or opting for apartments.
Another notable change, although little publicized internationally, occurred starting in January 2020. Toyota Housing ceased to be a wholly-owned subsidiary of the automaker and came under the control of Prime Life Technologies, an entity formed through a 50% partnership with Panasonic. This group also includes Panasonic Homes and Misawa Homes, and currently provides about 17,000 homes annually, keeping its sales restricted to the Japanese market.
The Supreme Court has put forward a proposal to restrict the movement of vehicles that are on the roads without valid insurance. As part of this initiative, a pilot project named 'No Fuel Without Insurance' is proposed.
The Court instructed the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) and the Ministry of Transport to develop such a pilot project. According to this project, the validity of a vehicle's insurance must be checked at gas stations before fuel is dispensed, and if there is no insurance, the sale of fuel must be refused.
The Supreme Court issued important directives aimed at tightening road safety and insurance rules. The Court issued major orders to the Ministry of Transport and IRDAI regarding fuel at gas stations, Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras, and the insurance of new cars.
The Ministry of Transport and IRDAI were tasked with preparing a pilot project that would allow for the prohibition of supplying fuel, such as gasoline or diesel, to vehicles lacking valid insurance.
Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras installed on highways and roads will be integrated with the 'Vahan VAHAN' portal and insurance databases. This will ensure the automatic issuance of electronic fines for uninsured vehicles.
Furthermore, the court extended the insurance validity period for new vehicles: the mandatory third-party policy for new private passenger cars has been increased from three to four years. For new two-wheeled vehicles, this period has been increased from five to six years.
A mobile application will also be developed for police officers. Traffic police will be provided with such mobile applications or handheld devices that will allow them to instantly check a vehicle's insurance on the road.
Each Pagani hypercar uses approximately 2,000 titanium screws, on which the logo is laser engraved with a depth of 0.002 mm, which is equivalent to 35 times less than the thickness of a hair strand. A Pagani, which costs millions of euros, has part of this value justified by these items, such as the screw.
It is estimated that each of these titanium fastening parts would cost around £60, totaling over £120 thousand, or approximately R$830 thousand, when multiplied. This estimate was based on a visit to the factory located in San Cesario sul Panaro, conducted by the channel Carwow, presented by Matt Watson.
It is important to note that the video does not specify whether the £60 value refers to the production cost, the replacement price, or an approximate average; therefore, the total amount is the result of a simple multiplication and not an official figure provided by Pagani.
This calculation led to frequent comparisons in the international media that only the screws surpass the cost of a new Porsche 911. In the United States, the 911 Carrera starts at US$135.5k. However, in Brazil, the 2026 911 model, according to the Fipe table, starts at about R$1.04 million, exceeding the estimated cost of the screws by more than R$200 thousand.
The factor that raises the price of the screw is not only the use of titanium. Each unit has the Pagani logo laser engraved with a precision of two microns, or 0.002 mm, which represents about 35 times less than the thickness of a human hair. During the video, the Carwow team demonstrated the tool used in this engraving process.
This level of detail is maintained in other parts that are not highly visible to the owner. For example, the oil dipstick is machined and anodized in titanium, but the procedure does not end there. It is first temporarily installed in the engine to determine the exact tightening point, and then returned for engraving, ensuring that the logo is perfectly aligned before being permanently installed.
The steering wheel follows a similar line of extreme luxury. Initially, the part is an aluminum block weighing 43 kg, and after machining, its weight drops to 1.7 kg, meaning that over 95% of the material is discarded as shavings. Subsequently, an 80-year-old artisan dedicates approximately eight hours to manually polishing this part.
Even the internal components receive this differentiated treatment. Wheel bearings and suspension arms leave the factory with a finish that is closer to a work of art than a common mechanical part. It is this philosophy, applied to every component, that helps sustain the high price of a Pagani, which can exceed €3.1 million before taxes and options.
