Aqua Claudia, Roman aqueduct in Rome, Italy
Aqua Claudia is a water supply structure built across the landscape surrounding Rome. The arcade consists of tufa and travertine blocks with masonry channels that once carried fresh spring water into the city.
Work started under Caligula and was later finished by his successor. Construction lasted fourteen years and required thousands of laborers hauling material from nearby quarries.
Sections of the waterway still carry clear stonemason marks and numbers showing how the construction crews organized their work. These signs served as quality control and helped foremen track the progress of individual teams.
Several well-preserved sections stand along Via Lemonia and around Porta Maggiore on the eastern side of the city. The ruins are best seen in daylight when the sun highlights the contours of the arches.
Some arches of the waterway were later built into medieval city walls and still serve as load-bearing elements today. This reuse shows how later generations integrated the ancient structures into their own building projects.
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