IPSE DIXIT THE APULIAN AQUEDUCT THE APULIAN AQUEDUCT: «A DECEPTION OF PUBLIC TRUST.”» The first gush of water flowed in Bari on April 24, 1915, at the monumental fountain in Piazza Umberto. In a region constantly grappling with water scarcity, it changed lives. The Apulian Aqueduct is a monumental engineering and symbolic achievement, addressing the long-standing issue of water scarcity in Apulia. Groundwater is essentially the only inland water resource in the region. The karst nature of the rocks in Apulia has prevented the formation of significant surface water resources. Famous in this regard is Horace’s definition of it: “Siderum insedit vapor siticulosae Apulie” referring to Apulia as a sweltering and thirsty territory. Yet to be realized, the project experienced a troubled path. In fact, the project seemed very challenging and the cost very high for local communities. The first project was presented by Civil Engineer Camillo Rosalba, in 1867-68, but was met with skepticism and later shelved. Work then began on a new project, designed by Eng. Michele Maglietta. The project proceeded with the first tender, issued in 1902 by the Zanardelli government, which ultimately proved unsuccessful. A second tender was won by the “Società Anonima Italiana Ercole Antico e Soci Concessionaria dell’Acquedotto Pugliese,” «With a series of articles [...], I demonstrated how the Apulian Aqueduct had initially been a deception exploiting the naive credulity of our region’s citizens [...]» Piero Delfino Pesce, “L’Acquedotto Pugliese: storia di un carrozzone,” 1912 He solved the issue of the inadequate water networks in Apulia. Today, it has more than 20,000 kilometers of water mains and 13,000 kilometers of sewage lines, providing services to approximately 4 million residents of Apulia. IN SHORT Name: Apulian Aqueduct Location: Italy/Apulia Start date: 1906 Inauguration year: 1915 Criticisms: Pricy and difficult to complete Results: It solved the issue of inadequate water networks in Apulia THE BENEFITS OF A GREAT WORK SOURCES MICHELE MOSSA https://www.michelemossa.it/allegato/ storia_aqp.pdf I FONTANARI MAGGIORESI https://www.ifontanaritorremaggioresi. com/files/storia-di-un-carrozzone.pdf FONDAZIONE MICHELETTI https://altronovecento. fondazionemicheletti.eu/lacquedottopugliese-a-genova/?cn-reloaded=1 RIVISTEWEB https://www.rivisteweb.it/doi/10.1433/32582 ACQUEDOTTO PUGLIESE https://reportsostenibilita.aqp.it/flipbook-report-integrato/ which succeeded in inaugurating the first section but failed to complete the remainder of the contract. In 1919, the project was taken over by the state and ultimately completed in 1939. Today, it boasts over 20,000 kilometers of water mains and more than 13,000 kilometers of sewage lines, serving approximately 4 million residents in Apulia.
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