This great work, inspired by French neoclassical architecture was commissioned in 1792 by Ferdinand III, Grand Duke of Tuscany carried on under the direction of various architects, including Pasquale Poccianti who gave the most remarkable contribution, was concluded by Leopold II of Lorraine. That’s why it took the name of Leopoldino (but it’s better known as the "Acquedotto di Colognole")
The pipelines and the neoclassical cisterns were part of a sophisticated scheme to not only provide water to Livorno, but also clean it.
The scheme was centred on the 18 km long aqueduct which runs south to north bringing water to the city from Colognole (a hamlet on the Livorno Hills).
From the hills by a system of tunnels, galleries and arches the conduit arrives at the "Cisternino" (“little collecting tank “where the waters were filtered and purified) to finally reach, near the city center, the Cisternone (“large water supply tank”) from which water reached all the city areas
It was Livorno's sole water supply until 1912, still serving some areas of the city.
Some parts of the arches, however, are in a state of decay due to the thick vegetation that surrounds them today.