The aqueduct Aquae Virgo (Virgin Water) was built in 19 BC to supply water to the Baths of Agrippa, the first public baths opened in Rome. The name comes from the legend that springs of good water were shown to the soldiers who were looking for them by a local girl. The Aqua Virgo is the only Roman aqueduct that has not stopped working since it was built.
The water springs were located in Salona, an area 10 km east of ancient Rome, now on the outskirts of the modern city, just beyond the outer ring road.
The tunnel runs west along via Collatina until it reaches the present-day Casalbertone neighborhood. Here it turns sharply north, crosses the Via Tiburtina along the present-day Pietralata district and turns west again. After reaching the hills now belonging to Villa Ada, the tunnel changes direction to the southwest, runs along the top of Pincio Hill through the territory of Villa Borghese and finally descends to the plains of Campus Martius (Champs Mars), where, just behind the Pantheon, it once ended.
Almost the entire tunnel route to the city was underground. Arches appeared only in the last two kilometers – on the Pincio Hill and within the ancient city limits.
After the 6th century, the Aqua Virgo remained the only supplier of running water in Rome.
Its capacity, however, decreased due to the loss of part of the sources, and to maintain the performance of the aqueduct it had to be repaired several times and even rebuilt.
The earliest of these works were paid for by Pope Hadrian I at the end of the 8th century.
During the passing years, the last section of the aqueduct stopped working several times and by the late Middle Ages it was completely out of order.
The main outlet of its water shifted from the Pantheon 800 meters upwards to the place where, according to a number of historical sources, there was a small fountain. In 1453, the fountain was enlarged on the occasion of the second restoration of the aqueduct, paid for by Pope Nicholas V.
The next major restoration works (1559 – 1570) added to the aqueduct a new network of aqueducts for parts of Rome’s neighborhoods and the previously lost springs from the Salone district. At one point the aqueduct was even renamed Acqua di Salone, but soon returned to its old name, albeit in its Italian form, Acquedotto Vergine.
In 1735, the fountain mentioned above underwent a radical change, turning in 30 years into one of Rome’s most famous landmarks, the Trevi Fountain.
After its opening, Trevi Water became an equally popular name along with Aqua Vergine. The aqueduct itself was once again restored in 1753, while the fountain was still being rebuilt, under Pope Benedict XIV.
All such work was commemorated with commemorative plaques, some of which are still present at their sites.
During the last decades of the 19th century, Rome expanded considerably beyond its ancient boundaries.
To meet the growing demand for water, between 1932 and 1937 the aqueduct was duplicated by the opening of a second tunnel called Nuovo Aquedotto Vergine Elevato (New Elevated Aquedotto Vergine) with a high water tower.
The tower greatly increased the water pressure needed to move it towards the city. The direction of the new aqueduct partially follows the direction of the first section of the old one, but then the tunnel, passing through the central parts of the city, straightens out and reaches its exit at a much shorter total length than the old one.
In 1961, due to the construction of new neighborhoods along the route of the old Aqua Vergine, its water was found to be contaminated and unusable. Since then it has only been used to operate fountains in the historic districts.
On Pincho Hill, the route of the old aqueduct passes under the 16th century Villa Medici. Here, in order to reach the water tunnel, a deep (25 meters) well with a spiral staircase was built. A similar well, but without a staircase, was built in the garden of the mansion.
The high viaduct that carried water through the town to the public baths has almost completely disappeared today. Its only surviving fragment consists of four arches made of white travertine.
Over the centuries they have been buried underground for most of their height and are barely visible on the Via del Nazzareno (near the Trevi Fountain) between buildings.
On the opposite side of the street is a small 15th century door with the coat of arms of Pope Sixtus IV, leading to an ancient aqueduct tunnel. This passage is still used for repair work.
A few more remains of the aqueduct have been discovered under the foundations of nearby historic buildings, but they are not available for public inspection.
Absolutely nothing survives of the arch where the aqueduct crossed the city’s section of the Flaminia Road (now Via del Corso), known as the Arch of Claudius since it was decorated in 51 to commemorate that emperor’s conquest of Britain eight years earlier.
Only a fragment of a large inscription from its top is preserved in the Capitoline Museums.
