Restoration of Caserta's Carolino Aqueduct Begins with €25M PNRR Funds

The restoration of the Carolino Aqueduct and the Fizzo Springs in Caserta has commenced, funded by €25 million from Italy's PNRR Culture program. The project, part of a larger €300 million national initiative for parks and gardens, aims to recover and enhance the 18th-century hydraulic engineering marvel commissioned by King Charles of Bourbon and designed by Luigi Vanvitelli. The 38-kilometer underground aqueduct, featuring visible sections like the Carlo III bridge in Moiano, the Durazzano bridge, and the Valle bridges in Valle di Maddaloni, will undergo conservation, landscape enhancement, and restoration of its 67 inspection towers. The works also include irrigation system upgrades for the Royal Gardens, restoration of the Waterway, and protection of the Bosco and San Silvestro estate. Director Tiziana Maffei emphasized the aqueduct's strategic importance, noting decades of neglect and illegal practices. Future plans include a new refreshment point, Il Giardino della Camelia, at the former Ercole Guardhouse through a public-private partnership.