Abstract

The Po and its numerous tributaries were a dominant feature of Roman northern Italy. Ancient authors emphasize the region’s richness in water - and indicate how this challenge was met by cities and settlements. In addition, archaeological research in the region has brought to light numerous remains of water infrastructure in the cities, dating from the 3rd/2nd century BC to the 2nd century AD. This comprises harbours, canals and bridges, as well as manifold installations and architectures as part of the local topographies. The omnipresence of water must clearly have contributed to the regional urban experience. Yet water was not only understood as an infrastructural and technical challenge by the urban communities. It was increasingly embedded in urban spaces and architectural complexes, where its display enriched local cityscapes. The paper seeks to outline this tendency towards an increasingly prominent aesthetic role of water in the regional cityscapes. Drawing on a limited number of examples, it addresses three aspects of water and its role in urban settings: the presence of (natural) water in urban contexts, the decorative use of water to enrich architectural constellations, and the role of water as a locale in urban topographies.