Explore History, Nature and Architecture in the Aqueduct Park Rome

Amphitheaters, temples, palaces... the Romans designed and built incredible feats of architecture all over their empire.

It has been argued that without their ability to distribute fresh, clean water via aqueducts the Romans would not have been so successful.

Their legacy can most clearly be seen in the Aqueduct Park Rome on the outskirts of the city - one of my favorite places to explore!

Visiting the Aqueduct Park Rome - Everything you need to know

The Eternal City of Rome has many beautiful parks in and around the historic city center.

But only the Park of the Aqueducts can offer visitors a break from the tourist crowds and allow you to see several ruins of Roman aqueducts up close.

'Ruins' is almost a derogatory way to describe these monuments.

Many are in phenomenal condition considering they are thousands of years old!

And there's no downplaying just how vital aqueducts were to the Roman Empire.

I find them fascinating, so on this page I'll be sharing more about their rich history and why you need to see them, including:

• What is an aqueduct?
• Important aqueducts in Rome
• The Aqueduct Park today
• What to see in the Park of the Aqueducts
• How to visit the Aqueduct Park

What is an aqueduct?

Aqueducts are structures built to transport water from a fresh source to towns, cities, and farmlands.

Early aqueducts delivered water that was free from contamination for the first time.

This meant people had access to safe water for drinking, bathing and irrigation.

The Romans understood the importance of hygiene and made sure that even the poorest neighborhoods had a communal fountain where people could get clean water.

The aqueducts supplied water for public baths, large fountains and private households of the elite even had their own direct supply!

Although the magnificent stone bridges with rounded, imposing arches are what we think of as an 'aqueduct' these days, they are just one part of an aqueduct's structure.

The system comprises bridges, canals, underground pipes, and tunnels to carry the water supply, all of which have to be perfectly angled and shaped to ensure the water flows freely.

The history of aqueducts dates back to early civilizations in Egypt and India that built them before the ancient Romans did.

However, the Romans improved the construction substantially!

Ancient Roman aqueducts

Over their centuries of power the ancient Romans built hundreds of aqueducts, not only in Italy but also in France, north Africa, Greece, Spain, and Turkey.

Construction of the Roman aqueducts relied on gravity and precision to ensure the water supply flowed at the perfect speed.

The gradient had to remain the same along tall arches and through underground pipes.

This sounds easier than the reality, given the aqueducts covered hundreds of miles over uneven terrain.

If nothing else, aqueducts are testament to the technological advancements of the ancient world!

Important aqueducts in Rome

There were several aqueducts that played a crucial role in Rome's history.

The oldest aqueducts in Rome

The Aqua Appia was the first aqueduct built by Appius Claudius Caecus in 312 BCE.

This was the same year construction began on the Appian Way, a Roman military road stretching from the city to south east Italy that still survives today.

It was the most primitive of the ancient aqueducts.

Although it only measured 10.2 miles/16.4 km, it was the blueprint for future structures.

Aqua Anio Vetus was the second aqueduct built in 269 BCE.

It was four times as long as the Aqua Appia, with the source being the River Aniene near Mandela, which is north east of Rome.

Representing a big jump in ambition and technological advancements, the Aqua Marcia was one of the longest Roman aqueducts in history and was built in 140 BCE.

It measured 56.5 miles/91 km and brought excellent-quality water to the city in large volumes.

These three aqueducts reflect the changes happening with Rome itself.

The Aqua Appia was very small, but was necessary thanks to an influx of residents and the start of military campaigns further afield.

The Aqua Anio Vetus was needed because the Aqua Appia proved too small, and then the Aqua Marcia was built just as the republic was collapsing, a reflection of the widespread power Rome had come to have.

Later ancient Roman aqueducts

As Rome's influence spread, they set up new colonies and improved infrastructure as they conquered new lands.

Replicating the Roman way of life was key to their plan for consolidating their presence in new places, which is why today we can see forums, temples, baths and fountains laid out in a set pattern at ancient sites.

Aqueducts were essential to these plans, so they were built all over the empire.

Some of the most impressive still to stand today are the aqueduct of Segovia in Spain and Pont du Gard in France, both built to supply water to local communities.

The aqueducts that brought water to Rome itself were also added to or extended, with eleven in total supplying the ancient city.

After the Roman Empire

The Roman Empire (the western part at least) fell apart in the 5th century, after suffering a series of attacks by foreign invaders.

During one of these attacks, the invaders cut off the water supply from the aqueducts to the city, damaging some of the structures.

Rome didn't have the money or manpower anymore to rebuild, and with a much-reduced population, the surviving aqueducts in Rome started to deteriorate.

By the Middle Ages, only the Aqua Virgo aqueduct still supplied the city with water.

Originally built by Agrippa, the first emperor Augustus' right-hand man (who also built the Pantheon), it is the only ancient aqueduct that still functions today.

Renamed as the Acqua Vergine during Renaissance restorations, the aqueduct provides water for the most famous fountains in Rome including the Trevi, the Barcaccia in Piazza di Spagna, and the Fountain of the Four Rivers in Piazza Navona.

Thankfully, the skill required to build these amazing structures didn't die with the ancient Romans!

A brand new aqueduct, the Aqua Felice, was built in the late 16th century for Pope Sixtus V, and the restoration of other ancient aqueducts was also completed.

Some of these ancient structures were further extended and brought up to date in the 20th century, with the vast majority of Rome's water still coming from the same springs - pretty cool in my opinion!

The Aqueduct Park today

Six of the aqueducts constructed to provide water for Rome have ruins, both overground and hidden underground, in the Parco degli Acquedotti.

This area of the Roman countryside measures 240 hectares, meaning you'll discover a lot more than aqueducts here!

There is a main bike path plus jogging and walking tracks throughout.

Near the Church of San Policarpo, there are tables and picnic areas.

With lots of open space, gardens, and streams, the Roman Aqueduct Park is a wonderful place to relax!

It's also a short walk away from Parco di Tor Fiscale, a park named after a 13th-century tower that also has aqueduct remains.

What to see in the Park of the Aqueducts

There are a number of ruins of different aqueducts to see in the Aqueduct Park, mostly dating back to ancient Rome but also one that was built in the 1500's.

You will see parts of the Anio Novus aqueduct, Aqua Claudia and Aqua Marcia which are all testament to the reach and technological prowess of the Eternal City.

Ruins of these exist in different levels of preservation.

There are also some ruins of the Aqua Tepula and Aqua Julia, and large sections of the Renaissance Aqua Felix.

Further, there are also archaeological remains of two ancient villas and some other important buildings.

Aqua Claudia and Anio Novus

The Claudio Aqueduct structure is one of the best-preserved, and most impressive aqueducts in the park.

Emperor Caligula commissioned the Aqua Claudia and Aqua Anio Novus in 38 CE.

Unfinished when Caligula died, the work was completed under his successor Claudius in 52 CE.

Mostly underground, the water was raised on arches above ground as the aqueduct got closer to Rome and these arches are largely still intact in the park.

The part of this aqueduct that still exists is approximately 278 ft/85 m long and 32 ft/10 m wide.

It has many intact narrow, brick arches and is a highlight of visiting the park.

I loved being able to get right up close to the structures and see how well they were made, and think about how much has changed since it was first built!

When you look up at the ruins you will see two separate conduits towards the top of the arches, which is where the water flowed.

The lower one is where the water of the Aqua Claudio flowed, and the upper one was then added on top to bring in the water of the Anio Novus aqueduct from a separate source.

Aqua Felix

Pope Sixtus V ordered the building of the Felice Aqueduct in 1586 during the Renaissance.

As many popes do, he named the structure after his birth name!

Most of the aqueducts put into working order at this time were ancient ones that had been restored, but the Felice aqueduct was a completely new structure.

The source of Acqua Felice was, at the time, the springs of Pantano Borghese off Via Casilina.

The aqueduct still streams water into the Moses Fountain on Via Venti Settembre in Rome's city center.

Aqua Julia

Emperor Augustus hired Agrippa to build the Aqua Julia in 33 BCE and ordered further expansions between 11-4 BCE.

Named for the Julian family that had allowed Augustus to consolidate his power in ancient Rome (his adoptive father Julius Caesar was from the Julii family), this is one of the many infrastructure projects he implemented.

The Acqua Julia is one of the most interesting monuments to walk around in the Park of the Aqueducts.

Because of the way the aqueduct was damaged, you can see one of the huge water pipes that aren't usually visible.

Take a look at the side view to get more of an understanding of the engineering involved!

Historical documents mention the Acqua Julia as being three storeys high but now most of it is buried, so what you're seeing is only the top part.

Aqua Marcia

As I talked about earlier, the colossal Marcia aqueduct was the third aqueduct built in Rome, and represented a huge technological step forward.

91 km/57 miles long, the water source was a spring with excellent water.

Praised for the high quality of the water supply, the aqueduct was renovated and improved multiple times to keep the standard high.

What's left of the ancient bridges can be found in the Aqueduct park, super close to the Acqua Julia.

This is because when the Julia aqueduct was built, it was linked to the Marcia for the last stretch into the city.

The water and flow from the Marcia was much better, so it helped improve the overall water supply.

For similar reasons the Aqua Tepula had been connected with the Aqua Julia earlier on, so there are ruins of all 3 of these aqueducts in this section of the park.

Villa delle Vignacce

There aren't just aqueducts in the park, there are villas too!

Translating to 'Villa of the Vineyards', Villa delle Vignacce was a luxury 2nd-century estate.

Emperor Hadrian's friend Quintus Servilius Pudens is credited as the designer.

Excavations of the remains of Villa delle Vignacce have revealed a perfectly preserved underground bathhouse.

It has mosaic floors, marble walls, and an underground heating system!

You can also explore the cistern in the northern section of the park.

Via Latina

The exact date the Romans built the ancient Via Latina road isn't known.

However, there's every reason to believe that Via Latina pre-dates the Appian Way (the Via Appia).

It ran south of Rome for around 125 miles/200 km and a short stretch still exists in Park of the Aqueducts.

The ancient road is in a slight ditch that runs alongside a walking path, so keep an eye out for it as you approach the central part of the park.

Villa dei Sette Bassi

Head to the eastern section of the aqueducts park and you'll find what remains of the Villa dei Sette Bassi.

This ancient villa dates from the mid 2nd-century and covered a huge area, but has not been fully excavated yet.

You cannot explore the villa fully but in my opinion it's well worth seeing it from the outside and understanding how large the villa really was!

How to visit the Aqueduct Park

The Parco Degli Acquedotti is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Yes, it's always open.

Even better, it's completely free to enter!

The Aqueduct Park is approximately 4.5 miles/7.5 km southeast of Rome city center.

The easiest way to get to the Aqueduct Park from Rome is via the metro system, with three metro stops a short walk from park entrances.

Around 15 minutes from Roma Termini on Metro line A heading towards Anagnina will get you to the right part of the city.

Three metro stations are a similar walking distance from the park: Lucio Sestio, Giulio Agricola, and Subaugusta.

I usually get off at Subaugusta, as this road brings you in at the center of the park which is closest to the main ruins - perfect if you don't have loads of time to spare.

You can also combine a visit to the park with nearby Cinecittà Studios, which is around a 20 minute walk away and is a great place to learn about Rome on film.

The best time of year to visit the Park of the Aqueducts is in spring or fall.

Everything is outside, and the grass can get muddy fast if it's wet so don't pick a rainy day if you can help it!

I think the best time of day to see the aqueducts is at sunrise or sunset, especially in late summer when the light is golden.

The low angles of the sun brings a warm glow through the arches of the aqueducts, making these incredible structures look all the more majestic.