Conserva di Valverde, Renaissance cistern in Bologna, Italy
Conserva di Valverde is a Renaissance cistern in Bologna with an octagonal upper chamber and lower levels connected by brick shafts. The underground system includes eight water collection basins that gathered and distributed water to the city above.
Architect Tommaso Laureti designed the system in 1563 to supply water to the Neptune Fountain and other public fountains in Bologna. The construction was part of a broader urban renewal effort carried out under papal patronage.
This cistern reflects Renaissance ambitions to improve city life through engineering and public works. The system symbolized how Bologna valued access to water as a sign of modern urban development.
The system runs beneath the city and connects to the Neptune Fountain in central Bologna, so visiting both locations helps you understand how water reached the public spaces above. Access to the underground chambers requires a guide and is not freely available.
Ancient limestone deposits remain visible in the ventilation chamber, marking centuries of water flowing through the structure. These mineral traces show physically how long this engineering system has been operational.
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