La raccolta e la distribuzione dell’acqua a Ventotene in età romana

La raccolta e la distribuzione dell’acqua a Ventotene in età romana is presented in two parts. The first examines the topographical and technical problem of the water supply on the island of Ventotene, where there is an absence of natural springs. The second, consisting of separate entries, analyses the individual components of the water supply system built by the Romans on the island. The Roman installation developed in two phases alongside changes in life at the villa located at Ventotene: the first connected to a residence used for otium, the second to an official site of relegatio ad insulam.

The Roman architect exploited the island’s natural slope to collect rainwater in a large initial reservoir, later known as the ‘Cistern of the Prisoners’, surmounted by a vast catchment basin: from here a conduit departed which, through various branches, reached the ‘heart’ of the villa extending over the promontory of Punta Eolo and the port facilities. The water was channelled from the cistern by an extensive network of tunnels, dug, depending on the height, either wholly or partially into the tufa or built on the surface.

Even during the second phase, when the villa was turned into a large and elaborate residential complex used throughout the year, it could rely only on rainwater as a resource. The Roman architect was thus forced to increase the collection areas, attempting to capture as much water as possible. This was achieved by increasing the number of large initial collection tanks, dislocating them strategically around the island to ensure that each of the sectors with the highest residential density and main infrastructure installations had its own independent resource alongside the standard existing resources. The number of catchment basins also multiplied considerably along the route of the main conduit and its branches.