The fountains were put into service in December after months of renovation. The city estimated that the incident would not leave traces once the pools again cleaned.
Abundant rains brought mud to the Traiano Paolo aqueduct which transports Lake Bracciano to Rome to Rome, 40 km to the north, explained the municipality on Saturday, February 15 in a statement. These rains spilled into the emblematic fountains of the Italian capital, recently cleaned. “There was an influx of muddy water in the monumental fountains of Piazza Navona and Piazza Farnese, fed by the aqueduct”said the municipality.
City services “Immediately took measures to limit the damage, keep the pools clean and monitor the situation”added the same source, indicating that the normal flow of water would be ensured the next day. According to the Acea company which manages the aqueduct, “The incident has been caused by the heavy rains in recent days, which have led to a significant increase in the water turbidity of the aqueduct”.
The fountains had been put back into service in December after months of cleaning. But the city estimated that the incident would not leave traces once the pools again cleaned. The Fontaine des Quatre-Fleures, which dates from the 17th century, is the jewel of the Baroque ensemble of the Piazza Navona. The neighboring Piazza Farnese Piazza fountains include basins from the Caracalla Roman thermal baths, with additions dating from the early 17th century.
From the fountains of the Place Navone on the outskirts of the Pantheon via the banks of the Tiber, Rome has seen the renovation work for the 2025 jubilee, a great year of pilgrimage for which 33 million pilgrims around the world, are expected. In November 2024, 105 projects had started on the 249 interventions provided for in the Roma Capitale area. The famous Trevi fountain officially reopened after a cleaning of several weeks and the municipality has decided to limit the number of visitors now