2,500+ public fountains with clean, cold water. Stop buying €2 bottles.
Plan your Italy trip →Small cast-iron drinking fountains — "big noses" named for their curved spouts. They run 24/7 with clean, cold water from the same aqueduct system that has supplied Rome for 2,000 years. The water is tested regularly and perfectly safe to drink. It tastes better than most bottled water because it comes from mountain springs via ancient and modern aqueducts.
Put your hand or finger over the spout opening. Water shoots up through a small hole on top — drink from there like a regular fountain. Or just fill your bottle from the main spout. The water runs continuously (Rome has abundant water supply). Don't feel guilty — this is what they're for.
Everywhere in Rome's historic center. Every major piazza, park, and street has at least one within a 5-minute walk. Google Maps shows them if you search "nasone." The Comune di Roma's official map lists all 2,500+.
Milan has green "vedovelle" (little widows) fountains — similar concept. Florence has fewer public fountains but they exist near major squares. Naples has fontanelle in the centro storico. Most Italian cities have some form of public drinking water.