Water Clock at Pincio, the Secret Treasure of Rome in Villa Borghese

In the green heart of Rome, hidden in the magnificent gardens of Villa Borghese lies one of the city's secret treasures of the Eternal City: the water clock at Pincio.

The Pincio terrace is one of the most romantic and iconic spots in Rome, offering a breathtaking view that stretches from Piazza del Popolo to St. Peter's Basilica. However, just a few steps away from this splendid outlook, wandering among trees and avenues, fountains, and sculptures in the greenery unveils one of the best-kept secrets in the city, the extraordinary 19th-century hydrochronometer.

This unique project is the only model of a hydroelectric clock present in a public garden in Italy, designed in 1867 and installed in one of the most picturesque corners of Villa Borghese in 1873, and it is still in operation today.

Its creator, Giovanni Battista Embriaco, was a Ligurian Dominican priest with a passion for horology and engineering, assisted by Swiss architect Joachim Ersoch, who was tasked with redesigning and enhancing the Pincio gardens to create the perfect setting for the clock.

The happy combination of their work still offers visitors to the area of Viale dell'Orologio a surprising sight and an enchanted atmosphere perfectly integrated with the surrounding garden.

Walking through the Pincio, the grand Water Clock remains almost hidden, surrounded by dense vegetation of palms, rocks, and a small pond. Then there is the silence, broken only by the sound of flowing water. The wooden bridge and the rocky islet transport the visitor to a magical, timeless dimension.

The clock measures time from the center of an oval pond, with a wooden bridge leading to a small island featuring a miniature rock formation covered with vegetation. Atop it stands a cast-iron tower sculpted like a tree trunk that holds four clock faces with hands shaped like leaves, marking hours and minutes at the four cardinal points, perfectly visible from any angle and harmoniously integrated into the natural context of Villa Borghese.

The clock features a unique mechanism that innovatively applies concepts of physics, hydraulics, and mechanics using water flow as an energy source without complicated gears. Water falling from above fills two basins shaped like leaves balanced on a pin.

The two oscillating basins activate the mechanism that triggers the pendulum, winds the clock, and moves the hands. Thanks to this continuous flow of water, the clock never needs to be wound, reliably counting hours, quarters, and minutes with remarkable accuracy. The mechanism is protected by a glass panel casing mounted on a cast-iron turret that resembles tree branches. Originally, this ingenious clock also featured an acoustic chime for the quarters and hours, also activated by the water flow. It is thus a true hydraulic engineering masterpiece that perfectly unites technology, art, and nature.

In 2007, the clock was restored with an intervention that restored its original functionality and rejuvenated its state of preservation.

A member of a prominent Genoese family and an expert in mechanical engineering, Dominican friar Giovanni Battista Embriaco (1829-1903) held spiritual leadership roles in convents and religious institutions in Rome while maintaining a great passion for clocks. This passion led him to study and design various sophisticated timekeeping mechanisms.

His masterpiece remains undoubtedly the water clock, which, thanks to the scenic location of Pincio studied by Swiss architect Gioacchino Ersoch, has become one of the most iconic and unique clocks in Rome.

The choice of location was based on the proximity of a water cistern meant to supply the fountains and lawns of the park. The abundance of running water made the park the perfect site for a device that needed its two oscillating basins to be continuously and alternately filled and emptied to function and keep the pendulum that powers the gears in constant motion.

Embriaco first presented his innovative models of water clocks at the 1867 World's Fair in Paris, where, after a practical demonstration, he garnered such success that he received praise from Napoleon III and many international experts who purchased the patent to enhance the public fountains of their cities.

Upon returning to Italy, Embriaco faced hostility from Catholic institutions that viewed the new scientific and technological advancements as a threat to ecclesiastical relevance and his central role in human life.

It wasn't until 1873 that a definitive version of the water clock was finally installed permanently in the Borghese Gardens, and following this success, Embriaco began to design other water clocks that were installed in the courtyards of significant Roman buildings such as the Ministry of Finance, where it remained until the 1960s, and the Berardi Palace on Via del Gesù, as the centerpiece of an elegant fountain adorned with classical statues and busts.

Villa Borghese is one of the most extensive and fascinating public parks in Rome, featuring expansive English-inspired gardens, a great variety of perfectly maintained flora, sculptures, fountains, small buildings, and ponds where one can enjoy a romantic rowing outing.

Strolling through this magnificent green space in the heart of the city allows visitors to discover, in addition to the water clock, stunning views and historically and culturally significant places such as Villa Medici, a residence for French artists, as well as venues for important cultural events open to the public, museums, the Casa Del Cinema with its rich programming of screenings and classic films, the great Bio Park of Rome, the Globe Theatre, a perfect reproduction of the original English version, and the San Carlino, a small theater that hosts children's performances just near the clock.

A visit to the magnificent Borghese Gallery is also essential, as it is one of the most visited and prestigious museums in the city, showcasing masterpieces by masters such as Canova, Raphael, Rubens, Titian, and Pinturicchio.

Author: Giorgio Calabresi