Aqueducts in Rome: which ones are free to visit?

Our old blog post on activities for kids in Rome and the mention there of the Vicus Caprarius has been the inspiration for a new focus: this time, on Roman aqueducts in the city.

As locals, we tend to give for granted the presence of such massive structures, and we know that they’re part of the landscape in certain neighborhoods. However, they’re really must-sees for the contemporary visitors, who usually only know about them from history books! They’re a tangible evidence of ancient Rome’s engineering expertise, and along with the Colosseum, they represent incredibly well preserved remains of a long gone past.

With all the above in mind, we have selected a number of waterworks you can see for free as you visit the Urbe: maybe scholars wouldn’t have selected these, but they’re meaningful to us Romans! But before that… let us answer a couple of popular questions!

Aren’t aqueducts mainly underground?

For a good portion of their route, yes – those pipes helped get over steep inclines. It’s when they pass through flat terrains that you’re more likely to see arches and more generally all those engineering works that scream aqueducts.

Are Roman aqueducts still in operation today?

The Aqua Virgo, that passes through central Rome, still works for a portion of its route. Other than that, no. What is potentially still used to this day is parts of the underground pipes for many of the major aqueducts, but with those being destroyed because of the Barbarian invasions, as well as being “recycled” as defensive walls, said pipes basically just move a little water from point A to point B and there’s no telling if they actually manage to get water to a modern Roman household without massively excavating the city.
And now, without further ado… Where can you see aqueducts for free in Rome?

In the city center: the Aqua Virgo

Completed in 19 BC by Marcus Agrippa, this aqueduct brought water to the Campo Marzio area of the city center coming from the North-Eastern countryside outside Rome and it was built along part of the Nomentana and Salaria ways, entering into what is now the Villa Ada park and the descending into the center of the city following roughly what is now Via del Tritone (and therefore walking distance from our latest addition, Via della Purificazione).

As mentioned, the Aqua Virgo is the only Roman aqueduct still functioning to this day, as it provides water to many a famous fountain – including Trevi Fountain, the Barcaccia on Piazza di Spagna and the Fountain of the Four Rivers on Piazza Navona.

Part of its route is included in the underground archaeological site of the Vicus Caprarius, minutes from Trevi Fountain, but that one has an entrance ticket.

If you want to see portions of the aqueduct today, look no further than the underground levels of the Rinascente department store on Via del Tritone, where parts of the Aqua Virgo were found during the renovation of the building there, or opposite the windows of the very visible McDonald’s fast food restaurant, again on Via del Tritone – in the alley at the corner, on Via del Nazareno, you can clearly see parts of the arches below street level, as well as a non-descript door which marks the entrance to the inspection tunnels for the conduits below.

In central-eastern Rome: Piazza di Porta Maggiore

Today this huge square is a chaotic intersection where car traffic, tram lines, buses and railways converge, but it was a major location even in ancient Rome – this is where 8 of the 11 aqueducts used to meet.

While you would need an archaeologist to unpack the different layers of brickwork signalling each and every one of these waterworks, you can still marvel at the efficiency of Roman engineers – not only those who made the aqueducts in the first place, but those who transformed them, later on, into powerful defensive walls.

In south-eastern Rome: Parco degli Acquedotti (Park of the Aqueducts)

We mentioned this area in the past (here) as one of the most important parks in Rome, and we stand by it. This is free-of-charge archaeology at its best, with the chance of getting really close to the original routes of both the Aqua Felix and the Aqua Claudia aqueducts. It’s very easily reachable by subway, with such stops as Giulio Agricola and Subaugusta basically bordering the park.

In south-eastern Rome: Parco di Tor Fiscale (Tor Fiscale Park)

Looking at a map of Rome, it’s easy to see as Parco di Tor Fiscale was really a part of the ancient Appian Way complex, along with Parco degli Acquedotti and Parco della Caffarella. When WWII ended and many Romains with no more homes needed a new place to live, many found this large unbuilt area perfect for new buildings, and this large part of the city ended up being splintered. To this day, archaeological findings are not uncommon here.

Which brings us to this park, one of Rome’s lesser known by foreign tourists, in spite of its accessibility (the Porta Furba subway stop brings you close enough to its entrance). This is on the route of six different aqueducts, some of them lost to time (or the need to build newer ones, like the Aqua Marcia which was dismantled to make way for the Aqua Felice).

As with other places we pointed out here, this is another destination within Rome that is a must-visit for photographers and content creators!