Free water fountains (nasoni) in Rome

The height of the tourist season (june – september) is often accompanied with intense temperatures and heat. You will be happy to know that Rome has more public water fountains than any other city in the world. Best of all, the water is clean, ice-cold and drinkable, so you will be able to keep your cool while avoiding having to buy water at overpriced vendor stalls.

Nassoni, as the water fountains are called, are spread all over Rome. There are over 2 500 of these,and the current versions of most nassoni are made out of cast iron, built in 1872. The water is often called the mayor’s water (l’acqua del sindaco) as it is licensed by the city of Rome.

A quick tip on drinking from a nassone: when you see one with a snout curving downward and a little hole at the top, cover the end opening of the snout with your finger so the water sprouts out the top. You’ll be able to drink more easily this way. Locals often enjoy observing tourists bending knee deep to be able to drink, while there is a much easier and clever way.

You can use this Google Map to find nassoni in Rome. As you can see, they’re available in abundance.

Related posts:

• 5 ways to beat the heat when visiting Rome