Example of a great industrial archeology, a spectacular infrastructure of modern architecture it flows all along Puglia it holds many world records. It has been renovated as a bike way, as an ecofriendly itinerary, to discover Puglia from a different point of view.
Originally of 480 km (99 US lea or 453 yd) of a hidden river, one of the longest pipeline in the world that carries water in Puglia from Campania, result of the genius of Camillo Rosalba, an engineer of Salerno, who took up the challenge to solve the eternal problem of lacking of water in Puglia and whose greatness is represented by his intuition to follow the principles of the Roman aqueduct, creating also a direct connection with the knowledge of a great past.
THE IDEA
THE INFLUENCE OF A WIND
It was realized at the beginning of last century, in 1901, 40 years after the engineer projected it. In 1866 an hot wind coming from Africa, called “favonio” (from Phoen, a german word that indicates this wind), flew for very long and took the temperature to 45°C (113° F). The aridity is a characteristic of our long and hot summers but that year the even fertile and lucky land of oil, grain and wine productions was distroyed and many people died.
Originally of 480 km (99 US lea or 453 yd) of a hidden river, one of the longest pipeline in the world that carries water in Puglia from Campania, result of the genius of Camillo Rosalba, an engineer of Salerno, who took up the challenge to solve the eternal problem of lacking of water in Puglia and whose greatness is represented by his intuition to follow the principles of the Roman aqueduct, creating also a direct connection with the knowledge of a great past.
The year after Puglia was hit by the cholera epidemic that struck for the entire year. Puglia was on its knees and mostly the province of Foggia was hit by the two phenomena. In 1868 the king Ferdinando di Borbone (Ferdinand I of the Two Sicily) faced the problem, determined to solve it once and for all, proclaiming a public competition for inventing an efficient system to bring water to the province. Camillo Rosalba resulted the winner with his innovative project but he didn’t saw the realization of it, that was realized 40 years after.
ITS RECORDS
This incredible exploit follows the Roman principle taking advantage of the natural gravity from the mountains of Campania region to the Apulian plains but holds also many world records.
Built in only 9 years, 21.000 workers and 400 technicians, it’s the longest Aqueduct in the world with its final main pipeline of 2.670 km (553 US lea, 101.7162 yd) that becames the longest never built in a single infrastructer for the total lenght of principal and secondary pipelines (20.000 km: 4.442 US lea or 702.5969 yd). The third in the world considering the water flow (20,8 mt3”: 127UK bbl or 3.360367UK gal).
THE ROUTE BY BIKE
Actually it offers a 500 km byke tour quite completly in nature, which winds through unspoiled nature with a differentiated path between mountains, plains, countryside from the Sele river in Campania until it reaches the heel of Puglia in Santa Maria di Leuca where it ends with a large monumental fountain to symbolize the mouth of a great river.
A hidden river symbol of a strong human willingness and strengthness that today offers also an amazing and alternative road to follow and to discover Puglia.
Enjoy the ride!
Read more
- Orecchiette with Cime di Rapa (broccoli rab)
- The hidden river
- La nascita delle Orecchiette
- Il grano Senatore Cappelli
- Apulian Menù. The Orecchiette with brasciole