The English version has been carried out by the English department of liceo classico scientifico Francesco Sbordone
Naples and its waters: a 2700 year long history
Neapolis and the Bolla Aqueduct:
The route within the walls
The Bolla aqueduct entered the underground of the city of Naples from the side of the current church of S. Caterina a Formiello, in the Castelcapuano area. Its waters flowed into a complex and deep sequence of tunnels and cisterns carved into the characteristic volcanic formation of the Yellow Neapolitan Tuff, developing at depths ranging from 24 to 35 meters on average. The tunnels and cisterns were connected to the surface through more than 5,000 wells positioned along the streets, inside buildings, and individual residences.
The name "Bolla" derived from the place where it originated, a location then called "Polla," later distorted into "Volla," and finally Bolla; Volla is a municipality located in the hinterland of Naples.
The main channel of the Bolla started at the second tower of Porta Capuano and crossed, underground, the entire ancient center of Naples (Celano, 1692) along via dei Tribunali, vico Zuroli, today's "Forcella," via San Biagio dei Librai up to the largo del sedile di Nilo (largo Corpo di Napoli), then turning at via Mezzocannone, to the current via Medina in Naples (Melisurgo, 1889).
In this area, until 1883, there were still four water distribution points called "sportielli" (Capecelatro, 1980).
Along the path of the main channel, numerous main and secondary branches developed, ensuring a widespread distribution of water in the underground of buildings and the main public streets of the ancient center of Naples.
From the so-called "Formale Reale" of the Bolla, other secondary derivations were created during the Bourbon period to feed 25 public fountains.
From 1500 onwards, following the construction of the sewage system in Naples, a condition of concerning promiscuity between the underground Bolla aqueduct and the city sewage system periodically occurred, leading to frequent cholera epidemics until 1884.
This latter pandemic eventually led to the definitive abandonment of the ancient canalization after over 2,000 years of operation; in May 1885, the Bolla aqueduct was then replaced by the modern Serino water system.