The Roman-Style Aqueduct by Lorenzo Nottolini

The Roman-style aqueduct is one of the most significant works by Lorenzo Nottolini, an architect from Capannori who was born in Segromigno in Monte and later rose to prominence for his service to the Royal Duchy of Lucca between 1818 and 1848.

The issue of water supply in the city of Lucca was a pressing concern, especially due to serious hygiene problems. While wealthy families had water brought directly from the nearby hills, poorer citizens relied on well water, which was often impure and unhealthy, frequently leading to epidemics.

As early as 1732, Giuseppe Natalini conducted a study to draw water from Badia di Cantignano. Later, in 1763, a new plan was approved to collect water from the mountains above Guamo, but construction never truly began. It wasn’t until 1822 that Maria Luisa of Bourbon decisively expressed the desire to provide Lucca with high-quality water, officially commissioning the aqueduct project to Lorenzo Nottolini.

Construction began in 1823 and continued intermittently, finally being completed in 1851.

Mostly located within the territory of Capannori, the aqueduct is a monumental structure over 4 kilometers long, combining elegant classicism with simple and austere architecture.

It consists of a straight line of 459 arches built from stone and brick, each standing 12 meters tall, with two water channels running along the top. To enhance structural stability, 28 buttresses were added to reinforce the pillars. Unfortunately, some arches were demolished during the construction of the motorway network. The aqueduct crosses the Lucca plain, carrying water from the hamlet of Guamo, at the foot of Monte Pisano, to the small neoclassical temple in San Concordio.

According to Nottolini’s design, water was drawn from 18 springs in Guamo and conveyed to the circular-plan cistern temple, built between 1823 and 1825. There, the water was filtered through stones and barriers, designed to trap impurities before being directed into the canals that led it to the city’s outskirts.

Nottolini devised two separate routes for the water, depending on its source: spring water followed a privileged route to public and private fountains, while other sources supplied the city’s monumental fountains. This distinction reflects Nottolini’s intent to reserve the purest water for drinking purposes.

The aqueduct ends at the temple of San Concordio, a Doric-style neoclassical circular building, where water was collected in a double marble basin. Nottolini paid close attention to details—for instance, he designed a movable system around the cistern to protect the iron pipes from damage caused by thermal expansion. From the temple, the water flowed into the city, feeding the network of fountains via an underground passage beneath San Colombano Bastion.

Notably, the aqueduct was originally meant to carry water directly into the city walls, but Nottolini chose not to alter the historic and scenic fortifications, so he revised the project, removing the arches that would have connected the aqueduct to the Baluardo.