Dating back to the 1st century, the Roman Tanks is a set of vaults that was used for storing water in the town of Firmum Picenum. It is split into 30 rooms across three rows and covers an area of 0.5 acres (2,023 square meters). Delve into this underground labyrinth of archways and tanks and enjoy the eerie ambiance.
Wander along the steep and narrow Via degli Aceti alley and enter the cisterns through a side door. The tanks were designed to store and provide water for the entire colony. Notice how the walls enclosing the crumbling arches are wet. In summer, the chambers offer cool relief from the heat.
Docents on your guided tour will explain the inner workings of the tanks. Learn about the aqueduct that distributed the spring water around the town and consider the ingenuity of the Romans’ hydraulic engineering. Note that the cisterns are slightly sloped, allowing the water to move through them and reach the aqueduct at the end.
Inspect the brick walls that divide the tanks and see the cleaning platforms. The Romans used a mixture of terracotta and mortar to waterproof the chambers. Other important parts of the process include the aeration wells and the lead pipes allowing water in and out of the cisterns. See how ventilation ducts and sewage canals helped to keep the water clean.
Find out about the tanks’ second incarnation as a wine cellar for Dominican monks. They added stairways, chutes and a grape-pressing mechanism.
There is a fee to enter the cisterns, where several guided tours per day are available Tuesday through Sunday. Children under the age of 6 have free admission.
The Roman Tanks occupy the historic center of Fermo. Get a bus to the Piazzale Azzolino and walk south for a few minutes to reach the tanks. Visit some of the other nearby sights, including the Piazza del Popolo, the Palazzo dei Priori and the Museo Archeologico.