LAPIS Museum — Acquedotto Augusteo del Serino
Napoli (NA)
Hidden gemHistory & archaeology
The story
Beneath the oldest basilica in Naples you descend into the aqueduct that Augustus had brought all the way here from the springs of Serino, and into the shelters where the city hid from the bombs.
Access
€ 10 full, € 6 ages 6 to 18, free under 6. Every day 10:00-20:00, entries to the hypogeum at 10:30 / 12:30 / 16:30 / 18:30
The story
The Aqua Augusta, or aqueduct of the Serino, was one of the greatest hydraulic works of the Roman Empire: built in the Augustan age, it brought the water from the Irpinian springs of the Serino as far as Misenum, to the imperial fleet, for about ninety-six kilometres and with branches towards Naples, Pompeii, Pozzuoli, Cumae and other cities. A stretch of its course runs in the subsoil of Naples, today told in a hypogeal museum-route.
What to see
The descent into the subsoil of the old centre, along a stretch of the ancient Roman aqueduct dug into the tuff: a journey into hidden Naples, several metres beneath today's streets, where the water of the Aqua Augusta once flowed towards the sea.
Tips
It is an underground route, with stairs and narrow, cool spaces: check hours, booking and arrangements on the official site before going, and wear comfortable shoes. As for the other hypogeal itineraries of the city, it is not suited to those who suffer from claustrophobia.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Augustan aqueduct of the Serino?
A great Roman aqueduct of the Augustan age that from the springs of the Serino, in Irpinia, brought the water as far as Misenum and to many cities of Campania, for about ninety-six kilometres.
What can you see on the hypogeal route?
A stretch of the galleries dug into the tuff along which the water of the ancient aqueduct flowed, in the subsoil of the centre of Naples.
How do you visit it?
With an underground route: it is best to check hours, booking and arrangements on the official site; comfortable shoes are needed and it is not suited to those who suffer from claustrophobia.
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