Pozzo di San Patrizio, a historical marvel of Orvieto, is a 16th-century water-storage well. Built with a double spiral staircase, it enabled uninterrupted donkey traffic, carrying water vessels up and down without crossing paths. The well, 53.15 meters deep with a base diameter of 13 meters, has 248 steps and 70 windows providing light.
The unique design, according to the Latin inscription on the well, superseded nature's limitations: 'what nature has begrudged, industry has supplied'. The well was completed in 1537 by the architect-engineer Antonio da Sangallo the Younger to provide a water supply for the city during a siege.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nicolo Ciampini
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