< Introducing Rome

Aquatic Rome

Family Guide
Tritons and sea horses at the magnificent Trevi Fountain
By the 4th century BC, the waters of the Tiber were too polluted to drink, and aqueducts were built to bring supplies of fresh water to feed the city’s fountains, from where citizens would get their daily supply of water. Fountain building was revived in the Renaissance and reached its height in the 17th century, when architects such as Bernini created exuberant centrepieces for the city’s piazzas. Until fairly recently fountains were used for cooling off in summer, but these days full-immersion is only permitted in the nearby sea and lakes.

Aqueducts

In 312 BC, Rome’s first aqueduct, the Aqua Appia, was built to bring in water daily from a spring around 16 km (10 miles) away from the city. The Aqua Appia, like most aqueducts, was built underground to protect it from attack, but later aqueducts, such as the Aqua Claudia, were magnificent structures with the water being carried along dramatic multiple-arched bridges that sliced across the Roman countryside. The points where the aqueducts entered the city were marked with monumental fountains, or mostre.
The most impressive surviving Roman aqueduct in the city centre is the Aqua Claudia. A series of tall brick arcades survives on the Celian Hill, behind the church of Santo Stefano Rotondo. But to see the best of Rome’s aqueducts, head to the Parco degli Acquedotti, where visitors can cycle, walk, picnic or take a guided tour among the dramatic remains of several ancient Roman aqueducts.

Baths and toilets

With nine aqueducts bringing in a regular supply of water, the Romans built elaborate bath complexes and several public toilets. The best preserved among these is the Baths of Caracalla, while the most impressive ancient Roman public toilet is accessible via the Crypta Balbi. Some bath complexes, such as the Baths of Diocletian have been converted into museums.

Fountains

One of the first actions of the Goths when they attacked Rome in AD 410 was to destroy the aqueducts. Rome floundered without a supply of fresh water, and life in the medieval city had none of the sophistication that had become the norm during the years of the Roman Empire. Finally, in the 15th century, Pope Nicholas V decided that something had to be done to make Rome a suitable capital for the Christian world. One of his first actions was to rebuild the ruined Aqua Vergine. He also decided to mark the arrival point of the aqueduct in the city with a mostra, just as the Romans had done. Other mostre include the Trevi Fountain, the Fontana dell’Acqua Paola on the Janiculum Hill and Acqua Felice on Via XX Settembre. However, people needed fresh water closer to their homes, and over the centuries virtually every piazza in Rome was given a fountain. While some were magnificent creations by the most talented artists and architects of the era, others were basic fountains used by the people of Rome for their daily needs.
Unlike olden times, today, chemicals are added to the water in monumental fountains to help keep them clean and preserve the stone. But the city still has 2,500 drinking fountains or nasoni and several that were designed for animals – such as the drinking troughs for horses on Campo de’ Fiori and Largo di Torre Argentina.
Fontana Barberini Piazza Barberini, 00197
Fontana della Barcaccia
Fontana Farnese Piazza Farnese, 00186
Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi
Fontana delle Tartarughe
Fontana del Tritone
Trevi Fountain Visit www.colosseo.org/nasoni/inasonidiroma.asp; to see a map of Rome’s nasoni and to find out more about fountains and how they work visit www.fountainsinthecity.com/learn/history.html.

Fun in the water

These days, those who want to splash around in water need to head to the sea, to a lake or to a swimming pool. Most swimming pools in Rome are operated as private clubs, but one can also take a dip in the Piscina delle Rose at EUR.
Around 30 km (18 miles) north of Rome is Lake Bracciano. It has good beaches for swimming and paddling at the Lungolago Argenti below Bracciano town and between the villages of Trevignano and Anguillara. It is also possible to swim in the lakes of the Castelli Romani.
There are plenty of places near Rome for a day at the beach – the Roman coast suits all budgets and preferences. Catch a train from Stazione Centrale Roma Termini to Santa Marinella, where there is a crescent of lovely, clean sand 10 minutes’ walk from the train station. Alternatively, drive down to one of the blue-flag beaches in Lazio such as Anzio, Sperlonga, Sabaudia and San Felice Circeo. For a fun-filled day, head to the Hydromania theme park, connected by free shuttle buses from near Stazione Centrale Roma Termini and Cinecittà.
It is also normally possible to go for boat rides on the Tiber, but heavy rains in recent years have caused serious damage and the service has been temporarily discontinued. Thanks to the several sections of rapids in the river as it flows through Rome, the kayaking races organized every year tend to be dramatic and exciting. Dragon boat racing is popular as well, with events being held on the Tiber, at the Laghetto in EUR and on Lake Bracciano.
Family Guide
Fontana del Tritone, Piazza Barberini
Dragon Boat events www.dragonboat.it
Hydromania open mid-May–mid-Sep; www.hydromania.it