THE SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY CANAL SYSTEM OF THE REGI LAGNI IN THE CAMPANIA PLAIN: A HISTORICAL ASSET AND A STILL CURRENT RESOURCE
introduction
Rosa Romano, Vincenzo Marciano
The Regi Lagni basin consists of an intricate system of man-made canals built since 1600 to enable the reclamation of the Campania region’s plains. The Regi Lagni are a great engineering work and represent a unique example of rural architecture. They are one of the most significant Bourbon testimonies throughout the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies for their conception and size. It had been built to prevent flooding and avoid landslides and mudslides. Indeed, its dual purpose was to channel the copious surface runoff water while remediating the marshy soils of the Campania plain to be converted to agriculture. More than 210 kilometers of secondary channels flow to the basin’s completely manmade central channel, allowing for the outflow of water drained from the land. Until the ‘70s, when industries and intensive agriculture had not yet entered the area by force, the streams were fed directly from the shallower groundwater. They were used for processing agricultural products but also for bathing and recreational purposes.
