The underground mysteries of Formia

Visitors walking around the old alleys of Castellone can feel a very lively and vibrant atmosphere. Very interesting inside is the site in Piazza St Anna whose church with the same name is of ancient origins. Underneath the square and its surroundings buildings there is a gigantic space with raised vaults. This was an ancient Roman civic aqueduct covering an area of 1200 m2 and holding a capacity of at least 7,000 m3. The huge underground space of this jewel of Roman engineers was officially brought to light during public road works in 1930.

               Piazza St. Anna

One of the engineers, Felice Tonetti recounted how surprised he was: “…I found myself in front of this gigantic wonder. A very long triple line of stone columns still like new was holding four large vaults each 2,90 mt long with each column 0,90 mt wide…the whole cistern is almost 65 mt long and is so large and strong that four roads and eleven houses have been built over its massive vaults.”

It is not easy to determine the exact time of when the cistern was built but the most likely theory and the style of its columns bring it back almost certainly to the imperial age; at that time Formia was expanding rapidly and was in growing need of water. The cistern was collecting the water of several springs from the nearby mountains.

The same springs were used much later on by the Bourbons in the middle of the 19th century with an aqueduct that from the S.Maria della Noce valley was spilling its refreshing water through a fountain under the tower of Castellone and the royal Villa of Caposele near the small harbour.

The itinerary around Castellone ends passing across Porta San Rocco restored in 1564, visitors can see the 15th century church with the same name in which is displayed a beautiful artwork, a 16th century triptych by the artist Girolamo Stabile. Climbing the street to the castle through Porta San Rocco one can admire the tiny church with the same name (San Rocco).

On the door there is the old jurisdictional symbol of the town of Gaeta dating back 1564 following the castle renovation by the Spanish. Continuing the visit owe find buttresses in opus reticulatum with brick walling support and high-ceilinged vaults, where tradition has it that the Bishop of Antioch, St. Erasmus was a martyr in June 303 AD.