Aqua Virgo Aqueduct – Rome, Italy
The Aqua Virgo aqueduct – considered one of the great engineering works of the Ancient Roman era – was built between 25 and 19 BC by Marcus Agrippa, the son-in-law and confidant of the emperor Augustus. The name probably stems from the purity of its water but according to legend it derives from the apparition of a virgin who showed Agrippa’s soldiers where to find the natural spring.
The aqueduct was about 20 km long, from the eighth mile of the Via Collatina in the eastern part of the city of Rome to the area around the Pantheon in Campus Martius where it supplied water to the first public baths in Rome also built by Marcus Agrippa. For its longest stretch, the aqueduct was underground and emerged from the hill close to the present location and then ran on arches for the remaining stretch. Its waters, albeit following a different route from the original one, still supply water to some of the most important fountains in Rome including the Trevi Fountain.
Projected animations shed light on the aqueduct and highlight aspects of the building fabric.
This stand with a book gives the opportunity for visitors to read more about the Aqua Claudia.
Arches with the masonry above them constitute the main portion of the structure.
The location of a department store adjacent to the aqueduct provides one of the most interesting juxtapositions in Rome. One has to walk through the store to see the historic site. And the staging of the historic site is top notch.