I nasoni romani (the Roman nasoni, the specific cast-iron street drinking fountains that the Comune di Roma has distributed across the city since 1874, identifiable by their specific design (the simple T-shaped cast-iron pipe with the small downward-facing spout at the top and the longer horizontal spout at waist level, the specific design that the generic Italian term "nasone" (big nose) describes (the downward-facing spout at the top resembles a large nose profile in the specific fountainhead design))): the 2,500+ nasoni currently installed across Rome (the Acea (the Rome water utility) catalogue count for 2025) constitute the most extensive urban street drinking fountain network in any European capital, a network that delivers the same free, cold, high-quality water 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, without interruption.
The nasone water quality: the water delivered by the nasoni is the same water as the Rome mains supply, the Acea system that delivers the acqua potabile to every Roman household. The Rome water supply quality (the specific Rome water quality data: the ACEA 2024 annual water quality report confirms the Rome mains water meets all EU Drinking Water Directive (98/83/EC) quality parameters for all measured compounds with comfortable margins): Rome tap water and nasoni water are among the highest-quality drinking water supplies in any European capital city. The specific comparative quality advantage of Rome tap water versus bottled water: the Rome water contains lower nitrate levels than most Italian bottled mineral waters (the specific advantage for the health-concerned consumer that the marketing of mineral water consistently obscures) and is delivered in a reusable system that produces zero plastic waste (the environmental mathematics (2,500 nasoni × 24 hours × 365 days × average 50 glasses per nasone per day = approximately 22 billion glasses of water served per year without a single plastic bottle)).
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Rome Nasoni: History, How to Use, and Where to Find
The Aqueduct Tradition
The nasoni as the continuation of the Roman aqueduct tradition (the specific historical continuity): Rome's ancient water supply system (the 11 major aqueducts that served the ancient city, delivering approximately 1 million cubic metres per day at the peak of the Empire) established the specific Roman civic principle that water is a public good distributed without charge, the castellum (the distribution point from which the aqueduct water was distributed to the public fountains, the thermal baths, and the private households) was the functional ancestor of the nasone. The medieval and Renaissance revival (the specific papal aqueduct restorations: the Aqua Vergine (the Augustus-era Virgo aqueduct) restored by Pope Nicholas V in 1453 (the Trevi Fountain is the terminal display of this restored aqueduct) and then repaired by multiple popes through the 18th century): the modern nasone system (established 1874 under the mayor Luigi Pianciani) continues the specific Roman tradition of the public water fountain as an urban infrastructure service rather than a commercial transaction. The Acqua Vergine (the specific aqueduct that still supplies the historic center of Rome, the Trevi Fountain, and many of the central nasoni): the water flowing from the nasoni in the historic center has been flowing from the same spring in the Salone estate (15km east of Rome on Via Collatina) since 19 BC when the aqueduct was originally built, the specific 2,045-year-old water infrastructure whose continuous service is the longest surviving aqueduct operation in the world.
Italy Water Fountain Nasoni Rome: tours & tickets
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See availability & prices →Compare tours on Viator →We may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.How to Use the Nasone
The specific nasone use technique: the standard nasone use (the waist-level horizontal spout) produces a continuous flow of water for direct drinking or for filling a water bottle. The specific nasone drinking technique (the direct-from-spout method): cover the lower spout hole (the small hole at the base of the horizontal spout) with a finger, the water is redirected upward through the small hole creating the specific upward arc jet that the Roman uses for the direct mouth-drinking without touching the spout. The specific reason this technique works: the nasone horizontal spout has a small hole drilled in its base precisely for the purpose of creating this upward jet, the design feature that was intentionally incorporated in the original 1874 cast iron design. The visitor who observes a Roman drinking from a nasone will see this specific finger-over-hole technique used automatically, it is the most specifically Roman street gesture available to the visitor who learns it.
Q&A: Rome Nasoni
Can I fill my water bottle at a nasone?
Yes, the nasone water is entirely safe for consumption (the same water as the tap water in every Rome restaurant, hotel, and apartment). The nasone is the most practical single Rome visitor resource for staying hydrated: the specific strategy for a Rome summer visit (the July-August temperature regularly reaches 36-38°C) is to carry a reusable water bottle and refill at the nasoni every 20-30 minutes of walking, the nasoni are distributed at a density of approximately 1 per 150m in the historic center (the highest concentration in the Trastevere, the Campo de' Fiori area, and the Testaccio), making the refill interval negligible. The Acea nasoni map (the digital map showing all 2,500 Rome nasoni locations): available at the Acea website (www.aceaspa.it/nasoni) and on the specific Rome water app (the "Acqua Acea" smartphone app that includes the real-time nasone location and the specific water quality data for each distribution zone): the most practical Rome summer heat tool available for free.
