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The Vespasian Aqueduct at Minturno: over 100 Roman arches along the Appian Way
Minturno, in the south of Lazio, boasts one of the most spectacular stretches of Roman aqueduct in Italy. Over 100 arches still standing, over an original course of 11 kilometres, it is a great work of hydraulic engineering, built to supply the ancient colony of Minturnae, a strategic port settlement at the mouth of the Garigliano river. The water arrived from the Capodacqua springs at Spigno Saturnia and entered the city through the Porta Gemina gate.
A textbook construction technique
The structure is built in opus caementicium — Roman concrete — with a facing of opus reticulatum: blocks of tufa and limestone arranged in a diamond-pattern grid. Some arches still preserve traces of plaster and two-tone decorations. Functionality was not the only concern, the Romans also cared about aesthetics.
Why so much water was needed
Minturnae was a key hub: it controlled river crossings towards the southern regions, and had a port that served both the coast and inland hillside towns. Trade, private houses, public baths — everything demanded a constant and abundant water supply.
Where to see it
The stretch that can be visited lies in the Archi-Virilassi area, where the aqueduct crosses the Appian Way in the archaeological park zone. From here one can easily reach the Minturnae Archaeological Complex, with its 4,000-seat Roman theatre, forum, baths and the Real Ferdinando bridge over the river Garigliano. A restoration project funded by the PNRR is currently under way.
