The Aqua Claudia is the name given to the sprawling network of miniature aqueducts that weave through the city like a stone labyrinth. This lattice of thin channels crisscrosses the residential districts, snaking between the insulae, houses and narrow streets alike. But carrying water is no longer the Aqua Claudia's sole purpose. Over time, the old but well-maintained waterways have become a popular haunt for the city's youth, too, and it is not uncommon to see young teenagers and children playing and jumping across the weblike structures, balancing on the precarious edges. In the shimmering afternoon heat of summer, the gentle trickle of water can offer a tempting escape from the sun that cannot be found elsewhere.