Alcune considerazioni sugli edifici antichi denominati naumachiae e in particolare sulla ‘naumachia’ di Catania

The paper aims to investigate the ancient buildings called naumachiae from the early imperial age to the late antiquity, highlighting the probable change of use of these structures (from places equipped for aquatic shows to simple water reserves), despite the persistence of the initial denomination (it would also seem that the same term naumachia was later used by extension to indicate ponds or artificial reservoirs). In the second part of the study, particular attention is paid to some ancient buildings, traditionally called ‘naumachie’, once present outside Rome: in Taormina, in Vasto and above all in Catania. In these cases, also due to the insecure information and the scarce or completely absent archaeological remains, it is not certain what they were originally, although – especially in the cases of Taormina and Catania – a relationship between these constructions and water conservation seems quite probable.