Ponte Lupo and the Water Giants - Ancient Roman Agro Festival

A widespread festival in the Roman countryside

Ponte Lupo and the Water Giants - Ancient Roman Agro Festival is a traveling event that celebrates the archaeological-rural district of the Agro Romano Tiburtino-Prenestino, a lesser-known area on the eastern outskirts of Rome, in the Lazio region, extending between the ancient consular roads of Casilina, Prenestina, and Labicana. Created to draw attention to a landscape where archaeology, agriculture, and nature have coexisted for centuries, the festival takes place over several weeks between summer and autumn, with free events held in various locations.

Ponte Lupo, the water giant

The symbol of the event is the Roman bridge-aqueduct of Ponte Lupo, an imposing hydraulic structure that once supported the Aqua Marcia conduit. With its massive stone structure, it is considered one of the largest bridge-aqueducts of Roman antiquity. Nestled in the countryside of the Tenuta San Giovanni in Campo Orazio, along the Via Polense, it is the main destination for guided tours led by archaeologists and local experts, who recount its history and function within the water supply system of ancient Rome.

The stages of the itinerary

In addition to the Ponte Lupo monument, the festival offers a true journey through the agricultural landscape, touching upon villages, farms, and green spaces in the VI Municipality:

• the village of San Vittorino, an ancient Roman hamlet rich in historical memory;
• local farms and agritourisms, often organic;
• breweries and local craft businesses that showcase the contemporary rural economy;
• parks and trails for nature walks to discover the flora and fauna of the Agro.

A program blending culture, nature, and taste

The festival's format weaves together guided tours of archaeological sites, cultural meetings, book presentations, musical and theatrical performances, excursions, and tastings of local products. Under the artistic direction of Urbano Barberini, the event involves local associations and entities, including FAI - Fondo Ambiente Italiano and Sotterranei di Roma, with the goal of combining heritage protection, social inclusion, and landscape awareness.

San Vittorino and the VI Municipality of Rome

The festival is promoted by Music Theatre International - M.Th.I. ETS together with the Ponte Lupo - Il Gigante dell'Acqua Association, with the support of Roma Capitale as part of the Estate Romana. For visitors, it is an opportunity to discover an unseen Rome, far from the usual tourist circuits, where the historicity of ancient ruins blends with the agricultural identity of a still-vibrant territory. An invitation to read the Roman countryside as a large open-air museum, between the Province of Rome and the borders of the Lazio region.