Summer in Rome can be a stifling 30-35 degrees Celsius (90-95 degrees Fahrenheit), which can make walking in the afternoon heat feel daunting. Luckily, you can find little ‘oasis’’ everywhere to get some free and fresh drinking water: the Nasone.

The name Nasone literally means ‘long nose’, due to the characteristic design of the metal spout protruding at mid-height which in fact, looks like a nose! Be on the look-out for other designs such as wolf heads, lions and dragons.

These fabulous fountains were first introduced in the 1870’s, and nowadays there are approximately 2,500 in town! The water coming from the nasoni is the same which supplies the city’s households, and thus safe to drink. The constantly flowing water is very safe, and keeps the water in the pipes from stagnating, which otherwise may allow bacteria to thrive. While this has been criticized by some as a waste of drinking water, only 1% of the water is lost due to the nasoni running continuously. Compare that to an approximate 50% of water lost due to old leaky pipes in the underground of the city. According to estimates, an operating nasoni costs the city of Rome 3-5 euro per day, depending on the strength of the water flow.

How to drink from a Nasone? It’s quite simple! The spout has a small hole on the top from which you can drink by closing the main hole below (where the water comes out) with a finger. Drinking refreshingly cool water ‘Roman style’ will certainly be fun during your vacation, and definitely a highlight for your children!