Few steps away from the Trevi fountain you can discover the underground aqueduct where all of its water comes from. In fact, right behind the corner there is an archaeological site where you will find an ancient Roman underground aqueduct, called Aqua Virgo. This is the only ancient Roman aqueduct still functioning today.
Check out our Underground the Trevi fountain tour
This aqueduct was built by Agrippa, the right-hand man of the emperor Augustus, in 19BC. That’s when Agrippa built the first public thermal bath of Rome, the Baths of Agrippa.
There were 11 aqueducts providing water into the ancient city of Rome. That is how ancient Rome reached a population of over 1 million inhabitants. This is the only aqueduct that made it to today. In fact, the Aqua Virgo today brings water to the Trevi fountain, the Fountain of the Four Rivers in Piazza Navona and the Fountain of La Barcaccia by the Spanish Steps.
The aqueduct of the Trevi fountain still survives today because it was for the most part an underground aqueduct. In fact, out of 20 kilometers (about 13 miles) of route from the source to the end, only less than 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) were overground.
And this protected the aqueduct from the exposure of the elements, Barbarian attacks and more.
This underground aqueduct starts its journey in a location in the east of Rome, called Salone. From there the Virgo aqueduct brings water to its very end of its route, in the heart of Rome. The final ending of the aqueduct is in fact the Trevi fountain.
The Trevi fountain is the “exhibit” of the underground aqueduct
What does that mean? The exhibit of an aqueduct is the monumental ending to it. The Trevi fountain is where the Aqua Virgo ends. There has been a fountain here since 19BC, when the aqueduct was inaugurated. But it looked a little bit different back then. It was just a functional fountain, a couple of pipes and a basin below.
The Trevi fountain as we know it today was built between 1732 and 1762, by initiative of Pope Clemente XII. The Pope opened a bid for artists to present their projects and among them he chose architect Nicola Salvi.
It took 30 years to build this fountain. Since then and still today it amazes millions of people everyday.
Can you visit the underground aqueduct of the Trevi fountain?
Yes, you can! The underground site where you can see the Trevi fountain aqueduct is called Vicus Caprarius. It is a site with limited space and they only allow a limited number of people in. That is why is important that you reserve your entrance in advance. It is also a little complicated to decipher if you are on your own. if you are on your own you can read about the basic notions of the archaeological site, however to truly appreciate the stories behind this place, a guided tour of the aqueduct is highly recommended.
Our Underground the Trevi fountain tour is a journey through water. We start by the fountain of the Spanish Steps and from there we follow the track of the underground aqueduct below our feet. We won’t see the aqueduct at first, because it is underground. But then we’ll start spotting parts of it along the way, mixed with the modern buildings. Surprise after surprise, we’ll end up underground to see the water reservoir of the Trevi fountain aqueduct.
You can find out more about this walking tour here.
