Piscina mirabilis

The Piscina mirabilis is an underground drinking water reservoir from the Roman period in Miseno in Campania, the ancient Misenum.

The so- named by Petrarch " wonderful pool " was used to supply the classis Praetoria Misenensis, the strongest of the Roman navies whose base to 330 AD was Misenum.

The reservoir is about 70 m long, 25.5 m wide and 15 m high. Its ceiling is supported by 48 columns. It has a capacity of 12,600 m³. Fed it was the Serino aqueduct. The basin is partly supported, partly dug in the tuff and was plastered waterproof, but parts were scraped this plaster and used for the production of gunpowder in later centuries.

A visit to the privately owned Piscina mirabilis by tourists is possible. There are several more Roman cisterns in the area.