As evidenced by a now-lost inscription, the well of San Pancrazio was built in 1235 in the center of what is now Independence Square in the Castello district to ensure the stronghold’s water supply. Nowadays, the well is no longer visible to passersby because in the first half of the 19th century, the mouth of the well was lowered below street level and, jointly, all the relevant services, such as the noria for drawing water and the shelters for the animals attached to it, were moved underground. A tunnel was then also built, dug into the rock and vaulted with masonry, to allow access to the well and the transit of animals to the noria. Currently, the well can still be visited through this gallery, the entrance to which is located near the old National Archaeological Museum. The visitor who enters it is immediately presented, on the left, with a vaulted extension with a central pillar that must have served as housing for the animals of the noria.
From here runs the tunnel, about 30 meters long, leading to the well; this is covered by a brick vault, equipped with two openings for the operation of the noria, of which only a few traces now remain.
