Cisterne romane di Fermo
Large Roman hydraulic complex beneath Piazza del Popolo in Fermo, with thirty vaulted rooms on three levels, visitable from the Civic Archaeological Museum.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Roman cisterns of Fermo, the ancient Firmum Picenum, were built between the late 1st century BC and the 1st century AD to collect rainwater and distribute it to the town. According to descriptions, the network of underground conduits and public fountains even reached the port, about seven kilometres away. The complex lies beneath the buildings on the eastern side of Piazza del Popolo.
The structure covers about 2,200 square metres and comprises thirty rectangular rooms arranged in three parallel rows, covered by barrel vaults up to six metres high; the walls are of Roman concrete covered with waterproof plaster. It is unique in the territory of the Marche.
The cisterns remained in use until the 1980s, partly for drinking water from the Sibillini Mountains, and during the Second World War some rooms served as air-raid shelters: words such as “calma” and “uscita” can still be read on the walls.
Highlights
- Thirty vaulted rooms on three levels, about 2,200 m²
- Example of hydraulic engineering from the Augustan age
- Traces of the air-raid shelter of the Second World War
- Entrance from the Civic Archaeological Museum
Permanent exhibition
- Cisterne romane – Route through the thirty vaulted rooms of the great Roman water reservoir, with traces of its reuse as an air-raid shelter.
- Operated by
- Comune di Fermo
- Visitors per year
- approx. 21,412
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €4 |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 13 · With the combined ticket: children under 14 free. |
| Visitors with disabilities | –Free admission with the combined ticket for people with disabilities. |
| Combined ticket for the museums of Fermo (valid for one year) | €10Reduced €8 for ages 14–25, groups of more than 15 people and members of FAI, Touring Club, Italia Nostra or ADSI; free for under 14s, people with disabilities, ICOM members and journalists. |
Single ticket €4. Tickets are sold at Palazzo dei Priori, at the Civic Archaeological Museum, at the Archaeological Museum of Torre di Palme or online.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: no information
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
Accessible toilets. Animals admitted in accordance with the municipal regulations.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
Entry to the cisterns is through the Civic Archaeological Museum (via Paccarone 36); museum information point at Piazza del Popolo 5, tel. +39 0734 217 140.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Guided tours by reservation; advance booking is recommended for groups. Mobile guides are available in English, French and German. |
