The Park of the Aqueducts
Park · Appio Claudio ·
Ancient aqueducts in vast parkland, perfect for picnics
Ancient aqueducts in vast parkland, perfect for picnics
"A leafy, off-the-beaten-path park favored by locals for picnics, running, and cycling; reachable by metro in roughly 40 minutes from the center. Bove says, "A stroll here is stepping into the past, a perfect place for a picnic, to run or cycle," and adds, "The owners of this spot are the aqueducts: six of the 11 of the ancient city of Rome can be admired in this charming location." The park offers dramatic ruins of multiple ancient aqueducts and a very Roman pastoral atmosphere." - Laura Itzkowitz Laura Itzkowitz Laura Itzkowitz is a writer and editor based in Rome. She has been contributing to Travel + Leisure since 2014, when she started as a fact checker before becoming a contributing digital editor in 2015. She has also held positions as a contributing editor at The Points Guy and the NYC cities editor at DuJour Magazine. In addition to Travel + Leisure, her writing has appeared in Architectural Digest, Surface Magazine, Brooklyn Magazine, T Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, Vogue, GQ, Departures, Afar, Fodor's, Town & Country, Condé Nast Traveler, Robb Report, Hemispheres, and others. When she's not jetsetting around Italy and beyond, she can be found in Rome, enjoying some cacio e pepe or relaxing at home with her husband and two dogs. Originally from the Boston area, Laura moved to New York City in 2011 to pursue a master's degree in creative writing and translation at Columbia University. She also holds a bachelor's degree in French from Smith College. * 10+ years of experience writing and editing * Co-wrote "New York: Hidden Bars & Restaurants," an award-winning guide to New York City's speakeasy scene published by Jonglez Editions in 2015 * Contributed to "Fodor's Brooklyn," published by Penguin Random House in 2015, which won silver in the Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism competition * Contributed an essay to "Epic Hikes of Europe," published by Lonely Planet in 2021 * Updated the 2022 edition of "Fodor's Essential Italy" Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines
"The Parco degli Acquedotti is situated on a wide stretch of beautiful Roman countryside—the famous “Campagna Romana” so often depicted by artists over the centuries—just outside the city of Rome. The park protects the remains of two enormous ancient aqueducts, yet is surprisingly little-visited by tourists to the city. This suburban park was designated a protected area in 1988 after two years of campaigning from a local citizen movement. It is named after the impressive aqueducts that still stand there today, providing one of the most famous landscapes in Rome. In antiquity, these aqueducts carried drinking water from the mountains in the east Lazio (such as the Alban Hills and the Monti Simbruini), and were elevated on monumental arcades once they reached the flat expanse of the Roman countryside. The Aqua Claudia, which is the most impressive aqueduct still standing within the park, was the eighth aqueduct built by the ancient Romans, constructed during the reigns of emperors Caligula and Claudius. It could carry over 2,000 liters of water per second, over 40 miles (70 km) away from its original source. Nearby are the ruins of an even older aqueduct, the Aqua Marcia (which also carried the waters of the Aqua Tepula and Aqua Iulia), built during the late Republican age in 144 BC. This one is not as well preserved since Pope Sixtus V removed parts of the structure to build the first Papal aqueduct, the Aqua Felix, at the end of the 16th century. The Papal aqueduct, which is a lot lower than its ancient Roman counterpart, runs along the Aqua Claudia and intersects it in the nearby park of Tor Fiscale. It ultimately ends at the famous Moses fountain in Piazza San Bernardo. The park is a vast archaeological and natural site that preserves, among other sites, the ruins of the imperial Vignacce Villa (its private baths are still visible); the 12th-century marrana (or ditch) built by the popes to provide water to the gardens of St. John the Lateran; a well-preserved stretch of the Roman road known as the Via Latina; and the 13th century Casale di Torrevecchia, a fortified farmstead that at one point belonged to the powerful Torlonia family." - ATLAS_OBSCURA
Offered as a peaceful alternative when the main holy sites feel too busy, this park is recommended for its tranquil atmosphere, where visitors can soak up a calmer side of Rome away from the Jubilee crowds. - Livia Hengel
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