The Aqua Alexandrina ( it, Acquedotto alessandrino) was a

Roman aqueduct The Romans constructed aqueducts throughout their Republic and later Empire, to bring water from outside sources into cities and towns. Aqueduct water supplied public baths, latrines, fountains, and private households; it also supported mining o ...

located in the city of

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

. The 22.4 km long aqueduct carried water from Pantano Borghese to the Baths of Alexander on the

Campus Martius The Campus Martius (Latin for the "Field of Mars", Italian ''Campo Marzio'') was a publicly owned area of ancient Rome about in extent. In the Middle Ages, it was the most populous area of Rome. The IV rione of Rome, Campo Marzio, which covers ...

. It remained in use from the 3rd to the 8th century AD.

History

The aqueduct was constructed in AD 226 as the last of the eleven ancient aqueducts of Rome. It was built under the reign of Emperor

Alexander Severus Marcus Aurelius Severus Alexander (1 October 208 – 21/22 March 235) was a Roman emperor, who reigned from 222 until 235. He was the last emperor from the Severan dynasty. He succeeded his slain cousin Elagabalus in 222. Alexander himself was ...

to supply his enlargement of the

Baths of Nero The Baths of Nero (''Thermae Neronis'') or Baths of Alexander (''Thermae Alexandrinae'') were a complex of ancient Roman baths on the Campus Martius in Rome, built by Nero in either 62 or 64 and rebuilt by Alexander Severus in 227 or 229. It stoo ...

, which were renamed ''Thermae Alexandrinae''. The aqueduct was repaired for the first time in the era of

Diocletian Diocletian (; la, Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus, grc, Διοκλητιανός, Diokletianós; c. 242/245 – 311/312), nicknamed ''Iovius'', was Roman emperor from 284 until his abdication in 305. He was born Gaius Valerius Diocles ...

between the 3rd and 4th century, later between the 5th and 6th century and finally in the 8th century during the reign of

Pope Adrian I Pope Adrian I ( la, Hadrianus I; died 25 December 795) was the bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from 1 February 772 to his death. He was the son of Theodore, a Roman nobleman. Adrian and his predecessors had to contend with periodic ...

. The aqueduct was described in the 17th century by Raffaello Fabretti (1680).

Route

The Aqua Alexandrina received its water from the Pantano Borghese swamp near the city of

Gabii Gabii was an ancient city of Latium, located due east of Rome along the Via Praenestina, which was in early times known as the ''Via Gabina''. It was on the south-eastern perimeter of an extinct volcanic crater lake, approximately circular i ...

, now a part of

Monte Compatri Monte Compatri () is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Rome in the Italy, Italian region Latium, located about southeast of Rome on the Alban Hills. It is one of the Castelli Romani. History Monte Compatri has been identifie ...

. The same spring has supplied the

Acqua Felice The Acqua Felice is one of the aqueducts of Rome, completed in 1586 by Pope Sixtus V, whose birth name, which he never fully abandoned, was Felice Peretti. The first new aqueduct of early modern Rome, its source is at the springs at Pantano Bo ...

since 1586. The first 6.4 km of the total 22.4 km were tunnelled underground, later run on the surface and 2.4 km was carried on brick arches traversing the valleys of the

Roman Campagna The Roman Campagna () is a low-lying area surrounding Rome in the Lazio region of central Italy, with an area of approximately . It is bordered by the Tolfa and Sabatini mountains to the north, the Alban Hills to the southeast, and the Tyrrhenia ...

. Some of its last section inside the city remains uncertain but the aqueduct entered the city at

Porta Maggiore The Porta Maggiore ("Larger Gate"), or Porta Prenestina, is one of the eastern gates in the ancient but well-preserved 3rd-century Aurelian Walls of Rome. Through the gate ran two ancient roads: the Via Praenestina and the Via Labicana. The Via P ...

and ended on the

at the Thermae of Alexander, between the

Pantheon Pantheon may refer to: * Pantheon (religion), a set of gods belonging to a particular religion or tradition, and a temple or sacred building Arts and entertainment Comics *Pantheon (Marvel Comics), a fictional organization * ''Pantheon'' (Lone St ...

and the

Piazza Navona Piazza Navona () is a public open space in Rome, Italy. It is built on the site of the Stadium of Domitian, built in the 1st century AD, and follows the form of the open space of the stadium. The ancient Romans went there to watch the '' agones' ...

Technical details

Depending on the season, the aqueduct supplied 120,000 to 320,000 cubic meters of water per day. The arches of the aqueduct are made of

concrete Concrete is a composite material composed of fine and coarse aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement (cement paste) that hardens (cures) over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water, and is the most wi ...

with brick coating. There are four small

travertine Travertine ( ) is a form of terrestrial limestone deposited around mineral springs, especially hot springs. It often has a fibrous or concentric appearance and exists in white, tan, cream-colored, and even rusty varieties. It is formed by a pro ...

brackets at the top of each pillar whose function remains unknown.

Remains

The longest continuous above-ground stretch of the aqueduct runs through the district of Centocelle along Via dei Pioppi and Via degli Olmi. Monumental arches are looming above busy Viale Palmiro Togliatti north of

Via Casilina The Via Casilina is a Middle Ages, medieval road in Latium and Campania. It led from Rome to Casilinum (present-day Capua), to present-day Santa Maria Capua Vetere. It was created from the fusion of two ancient Roman roads, the ''Via Latina'' and ...

. The road runs along the old ditch of Centocelle (Fosso di Centocelle) where the arches reached a height of 20–25 m. Formerly the crossing was an impressive feature of the Roman countryside but now it is totally surrounded by a densely built residential neighbourhood. The brick surface is very well preserved here contrary to the other sections were erosion affected it heavily. A second longest visible stretch runs along Via dell'Acquedotto Alessandrino south of Via Casilina. The arches carried the aqueduct through a valley with the lowest point at the crossing of present-day Via Carlo Della Rocca. The ruins are surrounded by houses and a public park called Parco Giordano Sangalli. The arched stretch ends at the crossing with Via di Tor Pignattara. It is possible to follow the aqueduct from Centocelle towards Pantano Borghese through open fields and scattered farmsteads until the

Grande Raccordo Anulare The GRA or Grande Raccordo Anulare (literally, "Great Ring Junction") is a toll-free, ring-shaped long orbital motorway that encircles Rome. GRA is one of the most important roads in Rome, and traffic reaches 160,000 vehicles per day as of 201 ...

, the great ring road of Rome. There are significantly lower arched stretches at the crossing points of ditches and hollows for example behind the

Tor Tre Teste Tor Tre Teste is a district of Rome, Italy, outside the city walls. It is located in Municipio VII along Via Praenestina. It has a population of 12,176.Comune di Roma - Ufficio di Statistica. Iscritti in anagrafe al 31-12-2008. The area was part ...

housing estate where a public park was established around the ruins.

Gallery

File:Aqua Alexandrina 05.jpg, View at the crossing of Fosso di Centocelle File:Acquedotto Alessandrino (a Torpignattara) 2.JPG, The section inside Torpignattara district File:ParcoGiovanniPalatucci4.JPG, Ruins near Tor Tre Teste File:Aqua Alexandrina 09.jpg, Chalk formation indicating that the aqueduct was leaking File:Aqua Alexandrina 03.jpg, Low section without arches

References

External links

Lacus Curtius article

* {{Roman aqueducts Buildings and structures completed in the 3rd century Alexandrina Rome Q. XIX Prenestino-Centocelle Severus Alexander Monte Compatri