Giacatello Hypogeum

The Giacatello Hypogeum forms part of a complex network of aqueducts built in Akragas. According to tradition, it was designed by the architect Feace to ensure an adequate water supply for the city and constructed using the forced labour of Carthaginians prisoners taken at the Battle of Himera in 480 BC. The monument lies in the area of the ancient settlement south-east of Gate VIII, and a short distance from the zone of public buildings. Originally, in the 5th century BC, it may have been a large cistern, subsequently serving as a grain store in Roman times. The hypogeum is a large quadrangular structure dug out from the rock, with seven rows of seven pilasters to support the roof, which was pierced by various well shafts-cum-skylights. An aqueduct runs into it from the north, while, starting from the south-east corner, a tortuous underground passage leads to the nearby river of San Leone (the ancient river Hypsas). The structure's original function as a cistern is confirmed by the thick layer of hydraulic plaster on the walls, floors and pilasters. The discovery, inside, of a grindstone made from lava stone and the remains of supports and beam cavities associable with equipment used in grain and olive milling processes, lends weight to the hypothesis that it was later used as a grain store or even as a grain or olive mill.

[ Stampa questa pagina ]

Testo di: Valentina Calì
admin by Tommaso Guagliardo