Running Noses

Rome is awash in fountains. There are giant fountains, like the Trevi, with its cascades of water and a basin carpeted with coins. There are fountains shaped like bee-covered seashells, like sunken boats, soup tureens, and pinecones. You might find a fountain topped with a stack of cannonballs, or with turtles, or stony but sensuous naiads. And on many streets and squares, often near an outdoor market, you will find a humble little fountain, just a curved pipe set in a cast iron post, continually running. You can safely drink from it despite the litter that inevitably collects around the drain. Just stop the downward stream with a finger, and a jet of water will spritz your shirt from a hole just where the pipe bends down. This is for your convenience in drinking.

These are the nasoni, “big noses”, of Rome. And while they may not evoke the grandeur of the city, like the Colosseum or Marcus Aurelius on his horse, they are nevertheless a well-loved symbol of the city. Each of the stubby posts is emblazoned with the city’s motto, SPQR, Senatus Populusque Romanus, “The Senate and the People of Rome”.

In ancient times, Rome was famous for its never-ending, always flowing fresh water supply. For centuries, Romans enjoyed their fountains, elaborate public baths, and even mock sea-battles in the flooded Colosseum. From senators to shopkeepers to slaves, Romans did not lack for water. The fact that, within the city, water was distributed by a system of lead pipes, has led some to speculate that the ancients suffered from slow lead-poisoning. But, because the water flowed continuously, it never sat in the pipes for long, and probably wasn’t seriously contaminated. The constant flow of water also flushed the city’s sewers, making the city much more hygienic than it would have been otherwise.

A re-purposed sarcophagus, Rome — A re-purposed sarcophagus

Rome’s water supply was severely damaged by the Barbarian invasions that finally brought down the Western Roman Empire, and it was not until after the Renaissance that a series of Popes began restoring and replacing the aqueducts and plentiful water returned to the city. Magnificent fountains, many in the Baroque style, celebrated these achievements. But to bring water closer to the people, hundreds of smaller fountains, usually troughs supplied by a spigot or two, were installed in Roman neighbourhoods. The troughs, often recycled ancient sarcophagi, were convenient for horses as well as people.

By the 1870s, the price of empty sarcophagi seems to have increased, for the city administration began to install the cheaper nasoni.They were a hit with the people. The humble metal posts with the big noses now number around 2,500. They’re popular with dogs and pigeons, which drink from the end of the pipe.You may see a tourist, bent double, trying to do the same; but of course, you and I do not; we know the secret. And we don’t carry water bottles, either; we just follow our nasoni.