B | Acquedotto romano

The water of Fonte Bulgarella takes the form of a traditional fountain with a tap that feeds three worn drinking troughs for animals and livestock. Set against a wall and into the outcropping rock, it is the starting and refreshment point for a walk up the Spello slope of Mount Subasio.

The Loop’s starting and finishing point offers a wonderful view of the section of the aqueduct in which visitors can observe the conduit’s function, construction materials and actual size. The masonry of this section of the aqueduct features a travertine mascaron from Roman times, from whose mouth flows water to quench travellers’ thirst.

The aboveground part of the aqueduct has two types of openings along its masonry: larger ones, used to remove limescale deposits along the conduit and inspect any unauthorised water removal works, and smaller vents intended to facilitate the flow of water towards the city.

During restoration projects, taps were added to some parts of the aqueduct with a revolutionary push-button control for removing water. The bore of these taps was regulated and had to be “the sizeof a goose quill”.

In the first part of the aqueduct, the masonry features panels inscribed with aphorisms by great thinkers, spanning a period of over 2000 years, the age of the Roman aqueduct itself.

A vantage point with views of a large section of the aqueduct, immersed in the silver of the olive trees, and the town of Spello, particularly picturesque at sunset. All this can be enjoyed in comfort from a bench made for two, which also permits a short, restorative break.

The Roman Aqueduct trail crosses the ancient road that connected Spello to Collepino Castle. During restoration project of 2009, it re-emerged with its distinctive brick with a hole for tethering animals. At the intersection, there is an excellent drinking water source and a tiny antiquarium displaying artefacts found during the restoration works.

At the San Onofrio bridge, a spiral walkway (the Grande Chiocciola) was created inside the bridge during the restoration project of 2009. This enabled the trail to pass over the aqueduct rather than alongside it, providing an extensive view over the Umbra Valley and the Chiona River Valley.

This is the Roman aqueduct’s largest and most impressive bridge, a surprising construction inside a narrow gorge. 33 metres long and 18 high, it has been damaged several times over the centuries by earthquakes, and its downstream façade shows its evolution throughRoman, early-medieval, medieval and18th-century times. Just after crossing the bridge, visitors can admire a large section of the aqueduct’s exposed conduit.

Continuing on, the aqueduct comes to the small ‘De le Moie’ bridge which crosses the Rio dell’Illara.

The final bridge, the Ponte Corvara,is situated in very picturesque surroundings.

This fountain takes its name from an ancient molino (mill), which stood where there is now a house and harnessed water from the aqueduct in order to grind wheat. Until a few decades ago, the fountain was used by the women of Collepino Castle as a lavoir for doing their laundry. The water from the fountain comes from the aqueduct, whose source is located about 100 metres further up.

The water from the Fonte Canale spring is captured thanks to the construction of a 76-metres drainage tunnel, the original one from Roman times. This tunnel is partly covered in the ‘Capuchin style’, with a tent of slabs, and has an average width of 0.4 metres and a height varying from1.2 to over 4 metres. The spring’s flow rate, which, in ancient times, was 34-52 litres/second, is now 10 litres/second.