Ancient Aqueducts & Villa of Quintili Private Tour

The Park of aqueducts is situated on the beautiful Roman countryside, just outside the city of Rome and was designated a protected area in 1988. The park protects the remains of two enormous ancient aqueducts, yet is surprisingly little-visited by tourists to the city. The impressive aqueducts that still stand there today, provide one of the most famous landscapes in Rome.The Aqua Claudia, which is the most impressive aqueduct still standing within the park, was the eighth aqueduct built by the ancient Romans, constructed during the reigns of emperors Caligula and Claudius. Nearby are the ruins of an even older aqueduct, the Aqua Marcia, built during the 144 BC. Pope Sixtus V removed parts of its structure to build the first Papal aqueduct, the Aqua Felix, at the end of the 16th century. The Papal aqueduct, which is a lot lower than its ancient Roman counterpart, runs along the Aqua Claudia. It ultimately ends at the famous Moses fountain in Piazza San Bernardo.

The Villa of Quintili was the largest and most sumptuous residence of the Romans. The original nucleus belonged to the Quintili brothers, the two consuls in the year 151 AD, and was expanded when the villa became imperial property under Emperor Commodus who loved to live here for the tranquility of the countryside and the thermal baths. The villa extended between Via Appia Antica and Via Appia Nuova and built around a large square. The most impressive part of the construction consists of the main rooms and those of the servants, a circular building, with a series of rooms and the two large thermal rooms of the caldarium and the frigidarium with large windows fourteen meters high and polychrome marble. The monumental complex overlooks the Roman countryside and offers a panorama that has inspired many famous artists over time.