Sette Sale - Cistern ( cisterna delle
sette sale )
This
gigantic cistern fed the Baths of Trajan,
the monumental nature and size of which required
a special water supply.
The
building is completely artificial, and the visible
parts are faced in brickwork.
It was
built on two levels, the lower one resting directly
on the ground, with the sole function of raising
the actual water container so that the pressure was
always sufficient to feed the baths.
The
cistern consists of nine parallel compartments:
the tank had a capacity of over 8 million liters
and was partly embedded in the ground and rendered more
solid by the use of rectangular buttresses.
The interior
of the compartments is lined in waterproof terracotta
paste right up to the barrel vaulting, which was constructed
on a double camber strip of different sized bricks of
which the imprints are still visible in the
concrete.
Information
and Addresses
Address
Via delle Terme di Traiano, 5/B
Price
€ 3,00; concessions € 1,50
For
Tours information –
private guided tours – special entrances, no waiting
in line - VIP services
www.tourinrome.com
www.vaticanmuseuminformation.com
www.vaticanmuseumticket.com
