Section of Roman Aqueduct in Brixia

Aqua Salsa (1st century AD)

One of the most important public works carried out in the Augustan Age as part of the urban redevelopment of Brixia was the construction of an aqueduct that brought water to the town from the valley of Lumezzane. With an underground route of 20 km, it supplied water to public and private buildings. The aqueduct was built in the first decades of the 1st century AD. According to an inscription found in Brescia, it is linked to the desire of Emperors Augustus and Tiberius to bring water to the wealthy domus and public buildings of Brescia.

Preserved and clearly visible for large stretches, it is one of the most important archaeological artefacts in the entire province.

Works to construct the sewerage collector in Valle Trompia unearthed some sections of the aqueduct in Via Antonini in Sarezzo. The need to reconcile the preservation of the ancient structure with the requirements for constructing the modern public works made it necessary to remove part of the ancient aqueduct so that the sewerage collector could cross it. The archaeological find was removed from its original location and placed in a special area adjacent to Sarezzo’s town hall so that the public could better admire it. It was restored and enhanced as part of a project coordinated by the Soprintendenza Archeologia della Lombardia and carried out by the Azienda Servizi Valtrompia with the collaboration of the Municipality of  Sarezzo.

The intervention offered an opportunity to “rediscover” the Roman aqueduct of Valle Trompia, undoubtedly a very important example of hydraulic engineering, especially for the solidity and durability of the structure over time, which after two thousand years is still being used in some sections.