Piscina Mirabilis
Immense Roman cistern from the Augustan age in Bacoli, with 48 pillars and five aisles; guided visit and mandatory booking.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Piscina Mirabilis is a gigantic Roman cistern built at the beginning of the 1st century AD on the hill overlooking the port of Miseno, in the municipality of Bacoli. It supplied water to the Classis Praetoria Misenensis, the military fleet based at Miseno, and was the terminus of the Augustan Serino aqueduct, which brought the water of the upper Sabato valley, in Irpinia, all the way here.
The structure is cut into the tuff: it has a rectangular plan of about 70 metres by 25, is about 15 metres deep according to some sources (25 according to others), and has a capacity of about 12,600 cubic metres. The barrel vaults rest on 48 pillars with a cruciform section, arranged in four rows of twelve, which divide the space into aisles. At the bottom of the central aisle there is a settling and drainage tank for periodic cleaning.
Eighteenth-century travellers compared it to a great underground cathedral. Today it is part of the Parco archeologico dei Campi Flegrei and can only be visited with a guided entry, in limited numbers and wearing a hard hat.
Highlights
- Roman cistern about 70 m long with 48 cruciform pillars
- Terminus of the Augustan Serino aqueduct
- Capacity of about 12,600 m³ of water
- Atmosphere of an “underground cathedral”
- Combined ticket with Cento Camerelle
Permanent exhibition
- Cisterna romana di età augustea – Guided visit inside the large cistern with barrel vaults and 48 cruciform pillars.
- Operated by
- Parco archeologico dei Campi Flegrei
- Visitors per year
- approx. 22,021
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €5 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €2Visitors aged 6 to under 18. |
| Children & teens | €2free up to age 5 · Free from 0 to under 6; reduced entry from 6 to under 18. |
| Visitors with disabilities | –companion free · Free entry for people with disabilities and one companion. |
| Combined ticket Piscina Mirabilis + Cento Camerelle (valid 1 day) | €8 |
Free also for tourist guides. The ticket covers accompanied entry for individuals; the guided tour is excluded. The visit lasts about one hour.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: not available
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- 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
The booking page states that the site is not accessible.
Kids & families
| Time needed | approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 5 |
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Via Risorgimento - Bacoli (bus 101) · 6-min walk
From Napoli Centrale, metro line 2 to Campi Flegrei, then bus 101 to Bacoli (Via lungolago) and about 10 minutes on foot; from Montesanto, EAV Cumana train line L9 to Torregaveta, then the “Baia - Torregaveta” bus to the “Bacoli - Centro” stop; bus 101 from Naples to the “Via Risorgimento - Bacoli” stop and about 6 minutes on foot.
By car
Parking available
Parking is possible near the entrance, in the Parcheggio Azienda Agricola Piscina Mirabile.
By car from the A1, leave at the Naples ring road in the direction of Pozzuoli/Arco Felice/Bacoli and continue to Via Pennata.
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 | Booking is mandatory. Entry with a guide every 30 minutes, in limited numbers; access is allowed only while wearing a hard hat. |
