Augustus and the Aqua Virgo: Rome's Lifeline

In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore the Aqua Virgo, the aqueduct that Augustus's right-hand man Agrippa built in 19 BCE—and that still feeds the Trevi Fountain today. They trace its 20-kilometre course from springs near the via Collatina, through the Campus Martius, to the public fountains and baths that defined Augustan Rome. Along the way, they uncover the legend of the young girl who showed Roman engineers the water source, the staggering logistics of moving 100,000 cubic metres of water daily, and the aqueduct's role in Agrippa's broader plan to transform the city. Lucas also explains how the Aqua Virgo survived the fall of Rome while its sister aqueducts crumbled, and why its rediscovery in the Renaissance sparked a new era of fountains. The conversation touches on Frontinus's treatise, the cura aquarum, and the daily life of ordinary Romans who depended on these flowing arteries. A note on listener support keeps the show ad-free. #AquaVirgo #Agrippa #Augustus #RomanAqueducts #TreviFountain #CampusMartius #Frontinus #CuraAquarum #AncientRome #RomanEngineering #RomanWater #FirstCenturyBCE #RomanBaths #RomanFountains #RomanUrbanism #History #FexingoHistory #AncientWorld Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo