Piscina Mirabilis a Bacoli, Campi Flegrei

Oggi ho visitato, e fotografato, per la prima volta nella mia vita, la Piscina Mirabilis a Bacoli, vicino Napoli, una delle testimonianze più impressionanti di epoca romana conservate nel territorio dei Campi Flegrei. Appena entrato sono rimasto a bocca aperta, per quanto avessi già visto foto del sito. Uno spazio enorme, scuro, attraversato da lame di luce che cadevano dal soffitto e lasciavano intravedere un susseguirsi di archi e colonne che si rincorrevano nella penombra.

A Bacoli si fermava, dopo ben 96 km, il lunghissimo corso del Fontis Augustei Aquaeductum, acquedotto romano detto del Serino perché la fonte era proprio nell’omonimo comune avellinese. Il punto ultimo di arrivo è proprio questa grandiosa cisterna idrica, denominata dai primi studiosi e viaggiatori, Piscina Mirabilis confrontabile in imponenza solamente con la Cisterna di Istanbul, sebbene più recente di quasi 500 anni. Opera di altissimo livello di ingegneria per il periodo, garantiva l’approvvigionamento idrico per Miseno, Bacoli e tutta la flotta militare imperiale che stanziava presso il bacino di Misenum. La struttura è scavata interamente in un banco tufaceo. La costruzione misura 70 metri per quasi 26 ed un’altezza di 15 metri. Tra i visitatori famosi, considerato che era una tappa imprenscindibile del Grand Tour, Mozart, Goethe e Dumas. Ho preferito lavorare tutte le foto in bianco e nero perché trovo che questo tipo di linguaggio si adatti meglio al carattere del posto, al mistero e alla storia che aleggia silenziosa nell’aria. Parlando con la persona che mi ha aperto il sito, sono venuto a sapere che è addirittura possibile sposarsi e festeggiare con gli invitati il proprio matrimonio in questo posto così incredibile.

Italy, Campania, Bacoli – The Piscina Mirabilis, “wondrous pool”, is an ancient Roman cistern on the Bacoli hill at the western end of the Gulf of Naples. It was one of the largest ancient cisterns. It was built under Augustus as suggested by the building technique of opus reticulatum used in the walls.

Italy, Campania, Bacoli – The Piscina Mirabilis, “wondrous pool”, is an ancient Roman cistern on the Bacoli hill at the western end of the Gulf of Naples. It was one of the largest ancient cisterns. It was built under Augustus as suggested by the building technique of opus reticulatum used in the walls.

Italy, Campania, Bacoli – The Piscina Mirabilis, “wondrous pool”, is an ancient Roman cistern on the Bacoli hill at the western end of the Gulf of Naples. It was one of the largest ancient cisterns. It was built under Augustus as suggested by the building technique of opus reticulatum used in the walls.

Italy, Campania, Bacoli – The Piscina Mirabilis, “wondrous pool”, is an ancient Roman cistern on the Bacoli hill at the western end of the Gulf of Naples. It was one of the largest ancient cisterns. It was built under Augustus as suggested by the building technique of opus reticulatum used in the walls.

Italy, Campania, Bacoli – The Piscina Mirabilis (Latin “wondrous pool”) is an ancient Roman cistern on the Bacoli hill at the western end of the Gulf of Naples. It was one of the largest ancient cisterns. It was built under Augustus as suggested by the building technique of opus reticulatum used in the walls.

Italy, Campania, Bacoli – The Piscina Mirabilis, “wondrous pool”, is an ancient Roman cistern on the Bacoli hill at the western end of the Gulf of Naples. It was one of the largest ancient cisterns. It was built under Augustus as suggested by the building technique of opus reticulatum used in the walls.

Italy, Campania, Bacoli – The Piscina Mirabilis, “wondrous pool”, is an ancient Roman cistern on the Bacoli hill at the western end of the Gulf of Naples. It was one of the largest ancient cisterns. It was built under Augustus as suggested by the building technique of opus reticulatum used in the walls.

Italy, Campania, Bacoli – The Piscina Mirabilis, “wondrous pool”, is an ancient Roman cistern on the Bacoli hill at the western end of the Gulf of Naples. It was one of the largest ancient cisterns. It was built under Augustus as suggested by the building technique of opus reticulatum used in the walls.

Italy, Campania, Bacoli – The Piscina Mirabilis, “wondrous pool”, is an ancient Roman cistern on the Bacoli hill at the western end of the Gulf of Naples. It was one of the largest ancient cisterns. It was built under Augustus as suggested by the building technique of opus reticulatum used in the walls.

Italy, Campania, Bacoli – The Piscina Mirabilis, “wondrous pool”, is an ancient Roman cistern on the Bacoli hill at the western end of the Gulf of Naples. It was one of the largest ancient cisterns. It was built under Augustus as suggested by the building technique of opus reticulatum used in the walls.