The Piscina Mirabilis is the largest and most monumental drinking water cistern ever built by the ancient Romans. It was essential for the water supply of the numerous ships belonging to the Classis Misenensis of the Roman Navy, moored at today's Lake Miseno. The Cistern has been called the "Cathedral of Water" because it resembles a church in its monumental beauty. It is located in Bacoli, the city in the Campi Flegrei that the ancient Romans called Bauli. It was also involved in the Fai campaign, I Luoghi del Cuore.
Fact and figures about the ancient cistern
The Piscina Mirabilis, partially excavated in tuff, had a capacity of 12,600 cubic metres of water! The pool was not completely filled and was emptied and cleaned of silt through an ingenious water drainage system. Here are all the incredible numbers of the Piscina Mirabilis:
- about 8 metres above sea level (now less due to bradyseism)
- rectangular plan
- about 15 metres high
- about 70 metres long
- 25 metres wide
- capacity of approximately 12,600 cubic metres of water
- barrel-vaulted ceiling supported by 48 cruciform-section pillars, arranged in 4 rows of 12.
It is a truly incredible work that, after 2100 years and despite the phenomenon of bradyseism in the Campi Flegrei, is still stable and almost intact.
The Pool and the Augustan Aqueduct of Serino
The Piscina was the landing place in Bacoli of the ancient Augustan Aqueduct. From the springs of Serino in the province of Avellino, located at an altitude of 330 metres and a journey of about 100 kilometres, the water was transported to Naples. Then it arrived in the Campi Flegrei up to the eight-metre altitude of the Piscina. Now, after the destruction of the aqueduct, the Piscina is empty and can be visited.
The films and documentaries shot in the Piscina Mirabilis
Photo credit: Facebook page Scabec Campania
The Piscina Mirabilis was considered a "minor heritage site" for a long time. Since 2020, thanks to the ATS StraMirabilis, which creates a synergy between public and private, we can visit it and receive excellent guided service for each visit. The fame of the Piscina Mirabilis is growing to such an extent that it is featured in the first episode of Meraviglie 2021/2022 edition, hosted by Alberto Angela: the TV programme is a documentary and has transfixed the curiosity of millions of viewers to see the largest Cistern built by the Romans.
TO SEE THE EPISODE ON RAIPLAY, CLICK HERE.
A fake news story recently reported that the pool was the set for one of the scenes in Sorrentino's recent film The Hand of God. This fake news also led many visitors to discover this great masterpiece of ancient Roman engineering. The Piscina Mirabilis has been the set of other films and short films. We recall two among many. Il Resto di Niente (The Rest of Nothing), a 2004 film based on the novel of the same name by Enzo Striano, recounts the life of the Neapolitan noblewoman Eleonora Pimentel Fonseca and the historical setting was the Neapolitan Revolution of 1799. Several scenes of this film were shot in the Piscina Mirabilis. The short movie Before Design: Classic. Tradition in the future by Matteo Garrone was filmed in the Piscina Mirabilis and was presented at the Salone del Mobile in Milan in 2016: this is the world-famous furniture fair with 2,500 exhibitors, more than 300,000 visitors from +160 countries, +5,000 accredited journalists.
The Grand Tour
The Piscina Mirabilis was a stop on the Grand Tour. Giuliano da Sangallo, a famous Italian architect, engineer, and sculptor who lived at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries, also considered it to have great architectural value. Inside, you can admire numerous graffiti pieces belonging to illustrious personalities of the time, such as Mozart, Goethe, and Dumas. The name "Mirabilis" (literally marvellous" is said to have been given by the poet Francesco Petrarch after a visit.
The Piscina Mirabilis and Al Chiar di Luna
All guests booking a one-night stay at Al Chiar di Luna during winter and spring (until 30 April 2022) will receive free admission with a guided tour of the Piscina Mirabilis. The visit to the pool lasts about 1 hour. It can also be combined with a wine tasting in an adjacent wine cellar or a visit to other sites, such as the Castle of Baia or the Baths of Baia if you are an archaeology enthusiast. In winter, it is also possible to go trekking on Monte Nuovo or walk around the Campi Flegrei lakes: Lake Averno, Lake Fusaro, Lake Miseno (very close to the Piscina Mirabilis) and Lake Lucrino.