Where the Water Is

One of the main reasons the Romans built their aqueducts was so they would be able to bring clean water from the mountains or springs to Rome and the other cities within the empire. The aqueduct water from these places supported mining activities, mills, agriculture, gardens, and public baths, latrines, and fountains, among other uses. Although earlier civilizations in Egypt and India had aqueducts as well, the Romans perfected the design and created a vast and intricate network throughout their lands. One of the first aqueducts to transport water into Rome, the Aqua Virgo, played a significant role in Roman history. Marcus Agrippa constructed it first in 19 BCE during the reign of Emperor Augustus. Throughout its history, this aqueduct has gone through a number of restoration initiatives to keep it sturdy. Just like many things when the Roman Empire fell, Aqua Virgo was one of the aqueducts that stopped being used for a time until the Renaissance Era, when it was fixed and was able to hold and move about 80,000 cubic meters of fresh water back into the city of Rome once again. In this presentation, I will analyze in particular the Aqua Virgo, the aqueduct that now brings fresh water to the Trevi Fountain, located in the heart of modern-day Rome, and continues to serve this purpose admirably even now, dispensing 80,000 cubic meters of fresh water daily.