ENTRANDO IN CITTÀ IL BENVENUTO CON L’ACQUA

Abstract

The fountains at the city entrance welcomed visitors with the gift of water, channeled by springs or collected in cisterns, during
the middle and late republican age.
There are several examples of this, including in central Italy the centres of Arpino, Alba Fucens, Narni, Anagni, Formia, Cosa.
With the construction of aqueducts, the intent of celebrating these works and who allowed them (with the expected prestigious
return in terms of reputation) added up to the welcoming intentions and demonstration of urbanitas. Among the examples are the
lacus ad portam in Alatri, the ones in Saepinum, Allifae, Minturnae. Forms and intentions change with the spreading of aqueducts:
there was more and more interest in monumentalization and decoration to represent the dignitas urbis through the magnificence
of not only nymphaea.

Keywords: lacus, urbanitas, Norba, Alba Fucens, Formiae.