Aqueducts

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Although the Romans are considered the greatest aqueduct builders of the ancient world, qanāt systems were in use in ancient Persia, India, Egypt, and other Middle Eastern countries hundreds of years earlier. Those systems utilized tunnels tapped into hillsides that brought water for irrigation to the plains below.

Aqueducts were a vital aspect of society in ancient Rome, channeling fresh water from remote sources to city centers. Although aqueducts had been in existence before Roman times, it was the Romans who turned them into incredible architectural marvels, with impressive arched bridges and complex internal structures that could span across the territories of Rome. Many of these aqueducts have survived for thousands of years, a testament to the wonders of Roman engineering. Let’s take a look through some of ancient Rome’s most famous aqueducts that are still in existence today.

 

Pont Du Gard, Nimes

The Aqua Virgo, Rome

The Aqua Virgo has an important place in Roman history, as one of the first aqueducts to bring water into the city of Rome. It was originally built in 19 BCE by Marcus Agrippa during the reign of Emperor Augustus, and underwent various restoration projects throughout the centuries to keep it standing strong. Although it fell out of use following the fall of the Roman Empire, it was renovated during the Renaissance to transport 80,000 cubic meters of fresh water into the Trevi Fountain in the center of present-day Rome, and it continues to perform this role well today!