Water is an integral part of Tivoli’s cultural heritage.
Along the banks of the Aniene River, in fact, the first forms of community aggregation developed in the Upper Paleolithic, and later, water played a leading role in the development of entire sectors of the urban area: admirable evidence of this are Villa Gregoriana and Villa d’Este.
The Aniene, after overcoming the Apennine reliefs, reaches Tivoli and, having crossed the Gregorian tunnels, makes the thunderous leap of the Great Waterfall, continuing its course in the caves of Neptune and the Sibyl where it produces a whirling rumble that, in times not too distant, was combined with that of the machines of the factories, moved by the very energy of the river.
After the jump, the river changes character continuing its course with slow meanders in the Roman countryside where it joins the Tiber.
First, however, it collects water from underground canals (Spada, Casacotta, Forma, Brizio, D’Este) making falls of varying heights that until the nineteenth century distinguished the profile of the Shrine of Hercules Winner transformed for utilitarian purposes into a labyrinth of groundwater also intended to power the Acquoria hydroelectric power plant and irrigate the pizzutello gardens.
As they pass through the city, these canals feed the numerous fountains that characterize the urban fabric of Tivoli as a square is set up around it, a crossroads unfolds, a meeting place is created.
Tivoli was the first town in the world illuminated with electric light on August 29, 1886 when 160 lamps of 50 candles, 150 lamps of 32 and 16 candles plus 5 large lanterns of 500 candles fixed in the main squares were activated by the power line of the Vesta power plant.
On July 4, 1892, for the first time in the world, alternating electric current was “launched” at a distance of about 30 km from Tivoli (Acquoria power plant) to Rome (Porta Pia).
Through large and small hydraulic works the potential force of the river, which at Tivoli makes a jump of more than a hundred meters toward the Roman countryside, has been caged and harnessed to produce hydroelectric power.
Through underground canals (some of ancient construction) penstocks, etc., water from the river was exploited by the various companies and corporations and power plants and power stations built on the Tiburtine territory.
The small power plant known as Vesta’s was inaugurated in 1886.
It was built by the S.F.I. Società delle Forze Idrauliche (represented by Vincenzo Cantoni and later Giuseppe Segrè) right above the Tiburtine waterfalls and exploits their waters.
From it started the current that first powered the first street lights.
A second power plant was built immediately below the Maecenas Leap and harnesses water from the Forma and Brizio canals and the Villa d’Este canal, water that was already being harnessed in the workshops of the former Maecenas villa at the site today of the rediscovered Shrine of Hercules the Victor.
This was the starting point for the first experiment in remote transmission of alternating electric current in 1892.
Construction of Acquoria’s most powerful power plant was completed early in 1842.
Hydraulic power was derived from surpluses from the Acqua Marcia aqueduct, from the Aqueduct of the Hydraulic Forces Company that collected water already used in several small factories, and from the Canevari canal (below the Cascatelle) and the weir of the same name (downstream from the Grande Cascata) built ad hoc to collect and convey water to the power plant.
Also from that period was the construction of the industrial canal known as Canevari.
Later the Vescovali dam and canal were built on the right bank of the Aniene. The water thus collected would also be used for the operation and strengthening of the Acquoria Power Station.
Video inauguration of the new Acquoria hydropower plant
