L'ACQUA A MEDIOLANUM. CONTROLLO E GESTIONE DELLE RISORSE IDRICHE IN ETÀ ROMANA

As is widely known, in the early 1900s the city of Milan looked very different than today because of its close relations with water: it had a dense network of canals and natural groundwater springs. The origin of this intricate system dates back to the process of Romanization and the beginnings of planned urban development. Since 49 BC, when Mediolanum’s “municipium” was established, the need for new strategies for water supply and defense led to the diversion of some rivers, with the aim of creating a self-sufficient internal water course-network. Over the last thirty years, archaeological digs have uncovered the remains of a number of drainage facilities, channels and pipes throughout the city; furthermore, the discovery of some parts of the defensive moat have stimulated a debate about the aspect of the townscape during the Roman period. This paper aims to give a complete survey of the system, combining archaeological evidence with the study of historical sources.