EUR piezometric water tower, Water tower in EUR district, Rome, Italy
The EUR piezometric water tower is a cylindrical structure that rises 52 meters, tapering from a slender shaft to a wide circular platform at the top. This elevated platform holds both a restaurant and a reservoir that supplies water by gravity to the surrounding residential area.
Architects Roberto Colosimo and Lorenzo Monardo completed this modernist structure in 1959 during Rome's postwar urban development of the EUR district. The construction represented a breakthrough in combining functional infrastructure with contemporary design principles.
The tower earned the nickname 'Il Fungo' because of its mushroom-like shape, and visitors can see how this form inspired artists and filmmakers over the decades. The structure became a symbol of postwar Rome's modern identity and remains part of the district's visual language.
Visitors can reach the upper platform by elevator and enjoy wide views across the EUR district and the surrounding city from there. The restaurant at the top provides a convenient dining option with views, and late afternoon or early evening is the best time for a visit.
The rooftop restaurant was established in 1964 following a proposal by tenor Mario Del Monaco, who had spent much of his career performing in Rome. This surprising connection between water infrastructure and opera culture gives the tower an unusual dual purpose.
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