At this period, the three channels by which water of the restored conduit arrived at

46 PRELIMINARY ESSAY.

Rome, were conducted into, and distributed from, a reservoir without any architectural ornament. Clement XII. began its decoration on the side of the modern Palais ^Conti, from the designs of Nicolo Salvi. This beautiful monument and masterpiece of its author, was finished under Benedict XIV., and received the name of Trevi, from the water being conducted into its basin by three channels, and also from its position at the

meeting of three streets. Of the three modern aqueducts, the Aqua Virgine, is accounted the most salubrious, and best adapted for culinary purposes. The pipes of this water are, on this account, sold at a higher price than the others. The aqueduct which furnished, at the time of Frontinus, 2,504 quinarice, (50,000 cubic feet,) now furnishes nearly 65,782 cubic metres in twenty-four hours, and this

quantity is distributed by seven principal conduits into thirteen public, and thirty-seven common fountains. The present Aqua Felice, is part of the water of the ancient Aqua Claudia and Aqua Marcia, united with some other springs collected under the pontificate of Sextus V. The stream begins from the Campo Colonna, situated to the left of the Palestrina

road, fourteen Roman miles from Rome, and enters the city through that remarkable ancient remain, called the monument of the Aqua Claudia. This water follows a course approaching to that of the Aqua Marcia and Aqua Claudia, but is on a lower level than either, as its sources are not so high up as the Anio. All the waters of which the Aqua Felice is composed, were united by Urban VII. in one immense reservoir, and several smaller ones, whence they were conducted into the conduit by an aperture named fistola urbana, formed in a block of marble.