- Aqua Traiana
The Aqua Traiana (later renamed the Acqua Paola) was a 1st Century acqueduct built by
Emperor Trajan from 98-117 AD. [cite journal | last = Watkins | first =H. | title =Colonia Marciana Traiana Thamugadi: Dynasticism in Numidia Thomas | journal = Phoenix | volume =56 | issue =1/2 | pages =84–108 | date =Spring - Summer, 2002 | doi =10.2307/1192471 | accessdate =2007-02-26] It channelled water fromLake Bracciano , 40 kilometers (25 mi) north-west of Rome, to Rome in ancient Roman times but had fallen into disuse by the 17th Century. It fedwater mill s arranged in a parallel sequence at theJaniculum , under the presentAmerican Academy in Rome . The milling complex had a long history, and were famously put out of action by theOstrogoths when they cut the aqueduct in 537 during the first siege of Rome.Belisarius restored the supply of grain by using mills floating in theTiber . The complex of mills bear parallels with a similar complex atBarbegal in southernGaul Revival as Aqua Paola
Camillo Borghese, on his accession in 1605 as
Pope Paul V , initiated work on rebuilding the Aqua Traiana, supervised from 1609 byGiovanni Fontana . At that time, the Roman suburbs west of theTiber River , including the Vatican, were suffering from chronic water shortage. The new pope persuaded the Municipality ofRome to pay for the development of anacqueduct to provide a better water supply to that part of the city.In 1612, the acqueduct was completed. It was initially called the Acqua Sabbatina or Acqua Bracciano, but was renamed Acqua Paola in honour of Paul V.
The fountain at the end of the acqueduct was referred to as "Il Fontanone" - the Big Fountain - because of its size. It was a the form of a free-standing triumphal arch constructed in white
marble withgranite columns on high socles. Most of the material was pillaged from the Forum of Nerva. Originally, it consisted of three large central arches, separated by columns, and a smaller one on each side. Water gushed into five basins at the base of each arch. The designer was Paul V's usual architect,Flaminio Ponzio . Among the team of sculptors involved wasIppolito Buzzi , who was responsible for the Borghese coat-of-arms, flanked by the Borghese eagle and dragon and held aloft by putti, doubtless to Ponzio's design.Then, in 1690,
Pope Alexander VIII commissionedCarlo Fontana , Giovanni's nephew, to enlarge the fountain. Carlo replaced the five small basins with an enormous single one which remains to this day.In more recent times a small garden has been arranged, hidden behind the structure.
References
Also see
*
Frontinus
*List of Roman aqueducts by date
*Roman aqueducts
*Roman engineering External links
* [http://roma.freewebpages.org/roma-ft42.htm Roman Fountains]
* [http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Rome+Italy&ll=41.888629,12.464129&spn=0.004947,0.012618&t=k&hl=en| Satellite photo] Acqua Paola is the white hemicircle in the center. To the Northeast isSan Pietro in Montorio and theBramante Tempietto.
*Touring Club Italiano, "Roma e Dintorni" 1965 p. 454.
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