Archi dell'Acquedotto Romano

viale Acquedotto Romano - 15011 Acqui Terme (AL)
zona Bagni
Tel. +39 0144.57555
Tel. +39 0144.322142
E-mail: info@acquimusei.it
https://www.acquimusei.it/

The arches of the Roman aqueduct are one of the most significant and historic monuments of Acqui: it is the best preserved of all the monuments of its kind that still exist in Piedmont and one of the most significant examples of Roman aqueducts of northern Italy. Its construction can be dated back to the first Imperial Age, perhaps to the Augustan age (beginning of 1st Century AD).
Two large distinct sections of the original structure remain, respectively seven and eight pillars in stone masonry, on a square base. In the best preserved section, close to the riverbed of the River Bormida, the pillars (approx. 15 m tall) support another four large segmental arches, at the top of which originally ran the water pipe, which no longer exists.
The route of the ancient aqueduct develops over approximately 12 km, starting from the water catchment area in Lagoscuro (in Cartosio), through the Erro Valley, to the left bank of the River Bormida, with an overall altitude difference of 50 m.
In the first section, the route is almost entirely underground and formed by a rectangular duct, made of cement work (river pebbles or small sandstone blocks bound with strong mortar) and covered by a barrel vault.
In the last section, starting from Regione Marchiolli, at the height of what is now the main road for Sassello, precisely for the need to cross the Bormida Valley and the riverbed, the magnificent above-ground construction was connected to the underground part of the duct.
Overall, the structure above ground had to be originally composed of at least forty or so pillars, through which the aqueduct made its monumental entrance into the ancient town of Aquae Statiellae.