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53-467: The eastern parts of the route of the aqueduct are well known thanks to the writings of two Italian engineers, who were asked to see if it could be brought back in use as the main water supply of Naples in the 16th and 19th centuries. The western part beyond Naples was less known until recent research. There were ten branches, seven of which were for cities while three were for some of the numerous luxurious villas in this area popular with rich Romans, such as

106-456: A bishopric . One bishop, the Christian senator Paulinus , is traditionally credited with the introduction of the use of bells to Christian worship. His small handbells were subsequently known as nola s for his seat and the larger tower bells as campana s from the surrounding area. Revered as a saint, Paulinus's relics turned the town into a site of Christian pilgrimage . Nola

159-616: A model of the villa. Access for visitors to the ruins of the imperial villa is currently through the Tunnel of Sejanus. The extraordinary 770 metre-long Grotta di Seiano or "cave of Sejanus" passes beneath the Posillipo hill and connected the imperial villa and other patrician villas nearby with the Phlegraean Fields and the towns and ports of Puteoli ( Pozzuoli ) and Cumae . It owes its name to Lucius Aelius Seianus ( Sejanus ), prefect of

212-578: A private connection and so it seems that imperial favour was also a factor in accessing the Augusta's water. During the war with Sextus Pompey , Augustus ordered the construction of the Portus Julius harbour just west of Puteoli. Later, this harbour was seen as less ideal because of silting problems and a new major naval base was built further west at Misenum to become the basis of the western Mediterranean fleet. Large quantities of fresh water were needed for

265-581: A sea crossing was needed to the island of Nisida . The aqueduct passed underground 400m south of the Roman baths at Agnano with its own branch, and a few metres north of the amphitheatre of Pozzuoli with a 70m branch to the aqueduct. The Serino aqueduct was constructed during the Augustan period of the Roman Empire, probably from 33 BC when Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa (close friend and ally of Emperor Augustus )

318-580: Is a town and a municipality in the Metropolitan City of Naples , Campania , southern Italy . It lies on the plain between Mount Vesuvius and the Apennines . It is traditionally credited as the diocese that introduced bells to Christian worship . Excavations at Nola-Croce del Papa have uncovered extensive evidence of a small village quickly abandoned at the time of the Avellino Eruption in

371-565: Is an affluent residential quarter of Naples , southern Italy, located along the northern coast of the Gulf of Naples . From the 1st century BC the Bay of Naples witnessed the rise of villas constructed by elite Romans along the most panoramic points of the coast, who had chosen the area as a favourite vacation spot. The remains of some of these, around the imperial pleasure villa of the Roman emperors , as well as

424-424: Is likely that there were several supplementary sources at other points in the network, including the branches from Avellino and at Scalandrone near Baiae . One of its main terminations was the enormous Piscina Mirabilis cistern at the naval base and port of Misenum . Since the aqueduct traversed such a distance, many difficulties were encountered when building it: several long tunnels were cut through mountains;

477-485: Is mentioned in ancient Greek and Roman sources. As part of Magna Graecia , the Ancient Greeks first named it Pausílypon , meaning "respite from worry". The French Homeric scholar Victor Bérard identified Posillipo as the land of Homer 's Cyclopes . From the 1st century BC the beautiful coastline of Campania attracted wealthy Romans as a place to build elaborate and grand villas as retreats. Of ancient Pausilypon

530-798: Is the Villa Rosebery , the Italian President 's residence during his stays in Naples. It also contains a Mausoleum to those who died for their country, the Mausoleo Schilizzi . Posillipo has given its name to Naples' waterpolo team, Circolo Nautico Posillipo . The neighbourhood was seat of the homonymous circuit which hosted the Grand Prix of Naples between 1933 and 1962. 40°48′20″N 14°12′12″E  /  40.80556°N 14.20333°E  / 40.80556; 14.20333 Nola Nola

583-690: The Ausones , who were certainly occupying the city by c.  560  BC. It once vied in luxury with Capua . During the Roman invasion of Campania in the Samnite War in 328 BC, Nola was probably occupied by the Oscans in alliance with the Samnites . Nola sent 2000 troops to defend Naples against the Romans (Paleopolis/Neapolis) in 327 BC. The Romans took Nola in 313 BC after setting fire to buildings near

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636-484: The Battle of Nola in front of the walls. It was stormed in 73-72 BC by Spartacus during his failed slave revolt. The 1st c. BC saw a number of public buildings constructed including the amphitheatre . The emperor Augustus died nearby at his sumptuous villa at Somma Vesuviana on 19 August AD 14, in allegedly the same room his father died in 72 years earlier. Augustus and Vespasian settled colonies in

689-519: The Porta Nolana , Napoli Centrale railway station , and stations at Pomigliano d’Arco and Baiano . Connecting trains in that system go to the tourist attractions of Pompeii and Herculaneum . In the 1990s to the 2000s, a waste management crisis broke out in the city as a result of illegal dumping by the Camorra . Most of the waste was dumped between Nola, Acerra , and Marigliano , referred to as

742-524: The " Triangle of Death ". A 2004 study by Alfredo Mazza published in The Lancet Oncology revealed that deaths by cancer in the area are much higher than the European average. Other Roman ruins, including a temple to Augustus, survived as long as the 16th century, they were then plundered for building material and few signs remain. A few tombs are preserved, and results from excavations are displayed at

795-508: The 'Temple of Fortune' which were in situ as late as 1913. However the Maza collection was dispersed and the loss to archaeological science was irreparable as a catalogue had never been prepared. Several objects of art from Posillipan sites found their way into the hands of Spanish collectors, and are still no doubt among the Roman antiquities in Spain. Many fine pieces were taken to Mergellina and lost among

848-569: The 15th and 16th centuries. The nearby Cicala Castle was the birthplace of Giordano Bruno ( b . 1548). In 1820, General Pepe 's revolution began in Nola. The sculptor Giovanni Merliano was a native of the city; and some of his works are preserved in the cathedral. Nola is a suburb of Naples . It is connected to the central city by a suburban railway , the Circumvesuviana . Passengers can ride direct to Napoli Porta Nolana railway station near

901-408: The 17th century BC. This powerful eruption from Mount Vesuvius caused the inhabitants to leave behind a wide range of pottery and other artefacts. The foundations of their buildings are also preserved in imprints among the mud left by the eruption. Nola was one of the oldest cities of Campania , with its most ancient coins bearing the name Nuvlana . It was later said to have been founded by

954-640: The 6 km-long (3.7 mi) Monti di Forino tunnel crossed a watershed in the Apennines (one of the longest Roman tunnels), and a 2 km-long (1.2 mi) tunnel crossed into the Sarno plain; also at the Crypta Neapolitana road tunnel and the Grotta di Cocceio road tunnel. A 3.5 km-long (2.2 mi) raised section on arches was built at Pomigliano d’Arco . There was ground movement due to seismic activity and

1007-545: The Archaeological Museum. Other sites include: The passion for gladiatorial combat was at its strongest in Campania among the locals and also the army veterans. So a permanent building for these was erected, as elsewhere, in the 1st c. BC, holding 20,000 spectators. The site was just inside the northern walls where existing buildings were demolished and one side of the arena took advantage of the wall embankment. The podium

1060-753: The Hellenistic necropolis. Also a new piece of the ancient aqueduct has been identified uphill from via Foria in the “Miracoli” district where the channel runs underground for 220 m. It features prominently in the novel Pompeii by Robert Harris , whose protagonist is a water engineer ("Aquarius") sent from Rome to maintain the aqueduct in AD 79 during the time around the eruption of Mount Vesuvius . 40°47′43″N 14°4′49″E  /  40.79528°N 14.08028°E  / 40.79528; 14.08028 Posillipo Posillipo ( Italian: [poˈzillipo] ; Neapolitan : Pusilleco [puˈsilləkə] )

1113-515: The Polish writer Adam Mickiewicz 's epic Pan Tadeusz published in 1834), it had fallen into disuse over the centuries. it was rediscovered during works for a new road in 1841 and immediately brought to light and made passable by Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies , becoming a tourist destination. Additional lining and arches were built to repair and reinforce the ancient walls. During World War II , it

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1166-459: The Tunnel of Sejanus can be seen today in the Parco archeologico del Pausilypon , or Pausilypon Archaeological Park, and elsewhere. Posillipo is a rocky peninsula about 6 km long surrounded by cliffs with a few small coves with breakwaters at the western end of the Bay of Naples. These small harbours are the nuclei for separate, named communities such as Gaiola Island and Marechiaro . Posillipo

1219-696: The Villa Pollio at Posillipo . Including the branches, the total length of the aqueduct was approximately 145 km (90 mi), making it the longest Roman aqueduct system in the Roman world, with the possible exception of the Gadara Aqueduct , until the 5th century AD when the Valens Aqueduct was extended in Constantinople . The Aqua Augusta was one of the most difficult and costly aqueducts ever constructed by an ancient civilisation due to its length and

1272-503: The aqueduct covered in ash, and 3.5 km (2.2 mi) of the duct, the Pomigliano d’Arco arcade, collapsed prior to the actual eruption. This cut off the supply of water to all the towns except Nola and Acerrae. The poor administrative and economic situation in Campania at this time, and Italy in general, prevented major repairs to the Augusta and after this time only other aqueducts in the area were referred to. In modern times, parts of

1325-442: The aqueduct dated to Augustus and not to Claudius as previously thought. The destinations listed on the tablet are: Nola , Acerrae , Atella , Naples , Pozzuoli , Baiae , Cumae , and Misenum . The cities of Pompeii , Herculaneum and Stabiae were also originally supplied by the aqueduct but, being buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD , they did not appear on this list. The next major eruption in 472 AD left

1378-590: The aqueduct including the Piscina Mirabilis were vital to the region's survival as air-raid shelters during World War II. There are few visible remains of the aqueduct today, although much of it still exists below ground. Traces of the original structure may be found at a number of sites in and around Naples. These include: Recently, arches of the twin aqueduct have been revealed in cellars of buildings in Rione Sanità , in 6 via Arena alla Sanità, and are open to

1431-570: The area. In the Roman road network, Nola lay between Capua and Lower Nocera on the Via Popilia . A branch road ran from it to Abella and Avellino . Nola was connected to the plentiful water supply of the Serino aqueduct after 20 BC. Though a relative backwater, Nola retained its status as a municipium , its own institutions, and the use of the Oscan language . It was divided into pagi ,

1484-586: The base itself and for the ships which may have been one of the reasons the new aqueduct was built. Such a major monument required constant maintenance; there were major repairs in the Flavian period (1st century AD) with the addition of parallel tunnels and the Emperor Constantine also engaged in a massive restoration documented on an inscription tablet discovered in Serino and dated to AD 324. Its text proved that

1537-418: The central part of what had been a broad continuous terrace along the south front of the property in Roman times. The buildings that stood on the hillside above the terrace, including the southern part of the baths, fell down the slope into the sea. The archaeological park is one of the most beautiful places in the city and along the coast of Posillipo. Among the most important sites are the "cave of Sejanus",

1590-588: The city walls. Under Roman rule during Hannibal 's invasion of Italy amid the Second Punic War , the city was the site of the 1st , 2nd , and 3rd Battles of Nola . On two occasions (215 and 214 BC), it was defended by Marcellus . In 90 BC it fell by treason to the Samnites during the Social War . In 89 BC, Sulla routed the rebel army near Pompeii, chased them to Nola and there massacred 20,000 rebels at

1643-525: The clever stratagem by which John , duke of Calabria , defeated Ferdinand , king of Naples , who fled the field with only 20 followers. Ferdinand, however, was supported by Pope Pius II , the duke of Milan , and the Albanian lord Skanderbeg . With his wife Isabella successfully wooing John's major supporters away, the king recovered his domain over the next decade. Nola itself subsequently lost its importance after its repeated destruction by earthquakes in

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1696-461: The coast, roughly parallel to the shore. The artistic School of Posillipo was started by Antonie Sminck Pitloo , painting marine shore landscapes from the area. The submerged parts of the ruins of the imperial villa and the rich and diverse marine and coastal natural environment can be seen via boat excursions. The area has been heavily overbuilt since the end of World War II, but contains some notable historical buildings and landmarks. Among these

1749-562: The difficult terrain it crossed. Despite its size and complexity, the Aqua Augusta is today largely unknown as a major monument because most of it is underground. The aqueduct's main source ( caput aquae ), the Fons Augusteus (now known as Acquaro-Pelosi), was in the Terminio -Tuoro mountains near the modern town of Serino not far from the city of Avellino and at 376 m above sea level. It

1802-461: The emperor Tiberius , who according to tradition commissioned its enlargement in the first century AD; the first tunnel was built 50 years earlier by architect Cocceius Auctus at the behest of Agrippa . The eastern entrance is cut into the rock cliff within the archaeological park while the western entrance was a monumental arch with opus reticulatum lining the cliff sides, and both ends being of about 14 m height. The height, width and length of

1855-513: The flesh to ingest blood". However, the emperor, Augustus , on visiting Pollio and witnessing the condemnation of a slave, took action against Pollio and saved the slave, an incident widely documented in writings of the era (see Vedius Pollio for more details). Vedius died in 15 BC and was probably forced to bequeath a large part of his estates, including the villa, to the emperor Augustus . Although Augustus had Vedius' mansion in Rome razed, Pausilypon

1908-412: The huge lilies are carried through the town on residents' shoulders along a route that has been followed for more than a thousand years. Each represents one of the local guilds or corporations, coming in the following order: Each of the organizations is responsible for one day of the festivities. The 2010 festival—along with its fellows—was nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site . It is possible that

1961-412: The joints between sections. It was not perfectly straight in plan but included small deviations near the centre where the tunnellers from each end met after remarkably small inaccuracies of alignment given the techniques of the time. It had three secondary side tunnels ending in openings overhanging the bay to provide light and ventilation. Although known about by scholars (for example it is referred to in

2014-419: The most visible ruins are those of the notorious villa of Vedius Pollio , later to become an imperial villa. The villa was described by the poet Ovid as "like a city". Most notoriously, he kept a pool of lampreys into which slaves who incurred his displeasure would be thrown as food, a particularly unpleasant means of death, since the lamprey "clamps its mouth on the victim and bores a dentated tongue into

2067-424: The names of some of which are preserved: Pagus Agrifanus , Capriculanus , Lanitanus . The discoveries of the pavement of the ancient city have not been noted with sufficient care to recover most of the plan, but a large number of Grecian vases were made at Nola, using its fine yellow clay and a shining black glaze. They are decorated with red figures. Following the rise of Christianity , it became

2120-524: The neighbouring submerged Gaiola Park. The villa was built in the first century BC by Publius Vedius Pollio. On his death in 15 BC, the villa was bequeathed to Augustus , and remained in imperial possession for his successors at least until Hadrian, as witnessed by a stamped water pipe . In various points the presence of water supply pipes (coated with hydraulic mortar) show the opulence of the facilities. The George Vallet Archaeological museum in Sorrento has

2173-502: The other ornaments of the villa of the Duke of Medina. In 1820 the southern portion of the property was purchased by a well-known Neapolitan archaeologist , cavaliere Guglielmo Bechi, and his name was associated with the Villa for more than half a century. He did much excavation, but again without publication of results. In 1841 more methodical excavations were begun on the adjoining property to

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2226-554: The process of being carried away. Two fairs are held in Nola: one on 14 June and another on 12 November. The Festival of the Lilies ( Festa dei Gigli ) is held on 22 June or the Sunday beforehand, honouring St Paulinus . It lasts seven days, until the next Sunday. Eight lilies and a boat are made of wood and covered with papier-mache from the city's art shops. On the last day of the festival,

2279-399: The public. They run from north to south for a long section at a separation of 10m and then come as close as 2m in the southern part. The western channel is Augustan, whereas the eastern part was added later. They sparked increased interest in research, which has led to more exploration of the line of the monumental aqueduct. An immense cistern on the line of the channels has been found next to

2332-496: The tunnel made it a great engineering achievement and an extravagant one considering it served only a small population. An enormous volume of rock alone had to be removed though some served as building material for the villas. The tunnelling was complicated by the alternation of pozzolanic earth with tufa necessitating the elaborate lining of most of the tunnel with stonework of opus reticulatum and then with vaulting on top of these walls. Work progressed at 5–7 m per day as indicated by

2385-587: The underwater park of Gaiola, the imperial villa of Pausilypon (including the odeon , theatre) and the Palace of the Spirits. The ruins of the Roman villa of Vedius Pollio , also known as the Imperial Villa, include a 2000-seat theatre on the rocky promontory at the end of the Bay of Naples. Some of the villa's rooms can be seen with traces of the wall decorations while its marine structures and fish ponds are now part of

2438-521: The west of the ancient lane that led down the valley from the "Tunnel of Sejanus" to the sea. The principal buildings of that part of the Villa were soon brought to light; the Theatre, an Odeon, and the remains of a Portico overlooking the sea. An oblong building called the temple was also found along with the remains of an aqueduct. In about 1870 the Marchese del Tufo opened a quarry for pozzolana clearing away

2491-412: Was curator aquarum in Rome, principally in order to refurnish the Roman fleet of Misenum and secondarily to supply water for the increasing demand of the important commercial harbour of Puteoli as well as for big cities such as Cumae and Neapolis. There is evidence that a large number of private users were members of the Rome senatorial class. In Rome, a letter from the emperor was required to gain

2544-534: Was discovered in 1882 when the Grotta Nuova di Posillipo was made for a tramway through the hill. Ancient inscriptions found inside the tunnel verify that it fed the villa of Felix Pollio, among others, mainly intended for the nymphaeum and the baths. The area remained largely undeveloped until a road, via Posillipo, was built between 1812 and 1824. That road starts at sea level at the Mergellina harbour and moves up

2597-449: Was faced with sheets of white marble elaborately carved with scenes and finished at the top with a balustrade with the same stone. It was partially rebuilt and renovated over the centuries, maybe after earthquakes. By the end of the 5th century it was abandoned and used as a quarry. The eruption of Vesuvius in the early 6th century and the subsequent flood partially buried the building and saved some of it for posterity, including marble in

2650-420: Was rebuilt and extended to become a palace, which remained in imperial possession at least until the time of Hadrian . In the 17th century the property of the site of the imperial villa passed to the family Maza who, for several generations, showed an interest in archaeology and Francesco Maria Maza ( c.  1680 ) was the author of inscriptions which he affixed to the so-called 'Piscine of V.Pollio' and to

2703-505: Was sacked by Alaric in 410 and by the Vandals under Gaiseric in 453. It was sacked by Muslims in 806 and 904 and captured by Manfred of Sicily in the 13th century. Under Charles of Anjou , it was held by Guy de Montfort as the County of Nola . It was inherited by his eldest daughter's Orsini husband and then held by members of their family. The 1460 Battle of Nola is noteworthy for

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2756-501: Was the nymphaeum of the villa and also built in the first century BC. Further along the coast to the west is the perimeter of the "School of Virgil" where it was believed that the "prophet" practised magical arts. The grandeur and luxury of these villas are documented in the George Vallet Archaeological museum. The Roman aqueduct supplying the coastal villas was a branch of the Serino aqueduct or Aqua Augusta and

2809-485: Was used as an air raid shelter for the inhabitants of Bagnoli ; the war and landslides during the 1950s took it back to a state of neglect since when it was restored. The remains of other Roman houses can be seen in Marechiaro along the beach, or at Calata Ponticello where there is an Ionic column base and a brick niche. On the cliff towards Gaiola are the remains of the "House of the Spirits" also called "Villarosa" which

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