One does not usually mention volcanoes in the same sentence as Rome, yet after learning more about the water system in the Eternal City, you may just hear me use them together. This is because volcanoes line the edge of the Italian Peninsula (from southern Naples up past northern Tuscany). When active (3,500 years ago), the volcanoes produced plateaus and large craters which became lakes after years of rainfall. These lakes then acted as reservoirs for Roman water supply. The largest one, Lake Bracciano, provides fresh and clean water to numerous aqueducts which then flow through hundreds of fountains throughout the city. So the next time you stop to take a refreshing swig from a drinking fountain on the sidewalk, thank the volcanoes for blowing their top!
The picture above shows the different locations of some of the volcanoes found in Italy. See http://www.crystalinks.com/romevolcanoes.html for more information (also the source of the picture).
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