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Acqua Vergene 1

Acqua Vergine

An aqueduct is a watercourse constructed to channel water. More specifically, it may refer to bridges along these watercourses which serve to convey water across gaps, such as valleys, ravines, and rivers, along its pathway.

History[]

In the days of the Roman Empire, aqueducts were a vital part of their cities' infrastructure, siphoning water to settlements as part of a technologically sophisticated irrigation system. In the form of colossal stone overland highways, they provided fresh water to baths, fountains, and households.[1]

Sizeable networks existed in the capital cities of Rome and Constantinople in the heyday of the Roman Empire; the majority of these aqueducts in Rome, however, were in states of disrepair by the time of Borgia rule during the Italian Renaissance. During his campaign to liberate Rome from 1500 to 1503, the Assassin Ezio Auditore da Firenze restored the aqueducts and cleared Borgia influence from around the structures.[1][2]

Aqueducts of the Roman design existed in the Levant as well and continued to operate during the 12th century. In 1190, the Assassin Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad destroyed the aqueduct standing outside the gate to the Citadel of Alep with a bomb as a diversion to sneak into the Assassin fortress which had fallen under the sway of the Templar mole Harash.[3]

Roman aqueducts[]

In total, there were eleven aqueducts that supplied water to Rome at its peak.[4]

Acqua Marcia[]

The longest of these aqueducts was the Acqua Marcia, built from 144 BCE to 140 BCE,[4] which conveyed water to the Terme di Diocleziano. In the time of Borgia power, this was in the Campagna District, and the aqueduct was broken apart in three broken sections.[2]

Acquedotto Claudia[]

Acquedotto Claudia 1

The Acquedotto Claudia

One of the most substantial Roman aqueducts, the Acquedotto Claudia supplied water to all fourteen districts of Rome,[5] running through what would be designated the Antico District during the Renaissance. Like the other aqueducts in the city, the Acquedotto Claudia was in a state of disrepair under Rodrigo Borgia's Papacy, leading Ezio Auditore to invest in the repair of its four broken sections.[2]

Acqua Antoniniana[]

Constructed in 212, the Acqua Antoniniana was a secondary channel of the Acqua Marcia which directed water to the Terme di Caracalla in the far southern side of the city.[2][6]

Acqua Vergine[]

Out of all the aqueducts in the city, the Acqua Vergine is the most famous water source for Rome.[7] Located at the northern end of the city overlooking the Piazza del Popolo,[2] in modern times, it still provides water to not just the fountains of that plaza, but also the Trevi Fountain, the Villa Borghese gardens, and the fountains of Piazza Navona.[7]

Other aqueducts[]

Valens Aqueduct[]

The Valens Aqueduct was an architectural marvel for the city of Constantinople. For nearly 1600 years from 375 until the late 19th century, it supplied fresh water to the city.[8]

Trivia[]

In Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, repairing the broken aqueducts throughout the city of Rome is one of the tasks needed for rebuilding the city. Even after an aqueduct has been repaired, however, it will still be marked as a "broken aqueduct" on the mini-map, albeit filled with white to indicate it has been restored.

In Assassin's Creed: Identity, players can only unlock the Aqueduct Database entry by climbing up the Borgia Tower on Palatine Hill at dawn.

Lunden's aqueduct as depicted in Assassin's Creed: Valhalla is fictional, as Roman London did not have an aqueduct due to being located near a river.[9]

Gallery[]

Appearances[]

References[]

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