Aqua Claudia (Claudian Aqueduct)

Tickets and tours: which to book

Nothing for the Aqua Claudia alone is sold online, because there is nothing to buy. The best-preserved stretch stands in the Parco degli Acquedotti, part of the Appia Antica regional park, which is a free public park with several open entrances from the residential streets around it. There are no ticket booths, no staff and only a few information boards.

Most visitors come on their own by metro and walk the line of arches. The other common way is as part of a cycling or e-bike tour of the Appian Way, which often finishes or turns round at the aqueducts. These usually include a bike, helmet and guide for three to four hours, with entry fees to catacombs or villas along the Appian Way sometimes extra. A few guided walks of the Appia Antica park also cover the aqueducts on foot, and private guides can combine them with the catacombs.

Inside the city, the aqueduct can also be seen at Porta Maggiore, where it crosses the old road junction, and on the Caelian hill near San Giovanni in Laterano, where the arches of Nero's extension run along the street. Both are free and visible from the pavement.

The sensible plan is to take the metro out in the late afternoon, walk the arches for an hour or two, and end at sunset.

A short history

The Aqua Claudia was started by Caligula in AD 38, together with the Anio Novus, and completed by Claudius in AD 52. It drew water from springs near the 38th mile of the road to Subiaco and ran about 69 km to Rome, mostly underground, before emerging near the seventh mile of the Via Latina onto arches that reached over 30 metres. It delivered roughly 185,000 cubic metres a day. The channel failed within a decade and was repaired by Vespasian in AD 71 and Titus in AD 81; Nero extended it across the Caelian hill and Domitian to the Palatine. Repairs continued under Hadrian, in the 5th and 6th centuries, and under Pope Adrian I in the 8th.

Getting there

Take metro line A from Termini towards Anagnina and get off at Giulio Agricola or Subaugusta, about 20 minutes. From Giulio Agricola, walk east for about 10 minutes to the park entrance on Via Lemonia; from Subaugusta, the walk to the entrance near Via Tuscolana is similar. Ciampino airport is only a few kilometres away, about 15 minutes by taxi, and Fiumicino is around 50 minutes by car. Drivers can find street parking in the surrounding residential roads, although it fills up at weekends. For Porta Maggiore, take tram 14 or 5 from Termini, about ten minutes, or walk 20 minutes east from the station.

Rules and what to bring

Do not climb the arches or the fallen masonry; parts are fenced off for safety. The park is used by joggers, dog walkers and cyclists, so keep to the paths when it is busy. Bring water, a hat and sunscreen in summer, as there is almost no shade along the arches. There are no toilets or cafés inside the park; use the bars on Via Tuscolana before you enter. Avoid the remote corners after dark.

When to go

The park is busiest on sunny weekend afternoons, when Romans come for picnics, runs and dog walks, but even then the space is so large that it never feels crowded. On weekdays it is quiet, especially in the morning. Photographers come for the last two hours before sunset, when the low light turns the tufa and brick golden and the arches throw long shadows across the grass.

Spring, from March to May, and autumn, from late September to November, are the best seasons, with green fields and mild temperatures. July and August are very hot and exposed, so go early or late. In winter, the light is clear and the park almost empty, but the ground can be muddy after rain.

Allow an hour and a half to two hours to walk the main line of arches and back. Add another hour if you also visit Porta Maggiore or the Caelian arches in the city.