Meta sudans

The Meta Sudans in Rome was an impressive ancient fountain that stood near the Colosseum. Its name comes from the cone-shaped turning post, from whose tip water flowed into the basin, so that it appeared to sweat. Historically, the fountain marked an important junction where several city districts met and from which the Via Sacra led to the Roman Forum. The structure featured a meta rising 17 meters (about 56 feet) high and a wide water basin, with a water spout crowning its tip. Although the foundation reached deep into the ground, the structure was torn down in the early twentieth century as part of municipal building projects. In the 1990s, the remaining ruins were uncovered again, so visitors can still get a sense of this significant piece of Roman water architecture today.