Aqueduct of Segovia
The Aqueduct of Segovia is a Roman aqueduct and one of the most
significant and best-preserved ancient monuments left on the Iberian
Peninsula. It is located in Spain and is the foremost symbol of Segovia,
as evidenced by its presence on the city's coat of arms.
History — As the aqueduct lacks a legible inscription (one was
apparently located in the structure's attic, or top portion), the date
of construction cannot be definitively determined. Researchers have
placed it between the second half of the 1st Century AD and the early
years of the 2nd Century—during the reign of either Emperor Vespasian or
Nerva. The beginnings of Segovia itself are likewise not definitively
known. The people called Vaccaei are known to have populated the place
or area before the Romans conquered the city. Roman troops sent to
control the area stayed behind to settle there. The area fell within the
jurisdiction of the Roman provincial court (Latin conventus iuridici,
Spanish convento jurídico) located in Clunia.
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Description — The aqueduct transports waters from Fuente Fría river,
situated in the nearby mountains, some 17 km (11 mi) from the city in a
region known as La Acebeda. It runs another 15 km (9.3 mi) before
arriving in the city.
The water is first gathered in a tank known as El Caserón (or Big
House), and is then led through a channel to a second tower known as the
Casa de Aguas (or Waterhouse). There it is naturally decanted and sand
settles out before the water continues its route. Next the water travels
728 m (796 yd) on a one-percent grade until it is high upon the
Postigo, a rocky outcropping on which the old city center, the Segovia
Alcázar, was built. Then, at Plaza de Díaz Sanz (Díaz Sanz Square), the
structure makes an abrupt turn and heads toward Plaza Azoguejo (Azoguejo
Square). It is there the monument begins to display its full splendor.
At its tallest, the aqueduct reaches a height of 28.5 m (93 ft 6 in),
including nearly 6 m (19 ft 8 in) of foundation. There are both single
and double arches supported by pillars. From the point the aqueduct
enters the city until it reaches Plaza de Díaz Sanz, it includes 75
single arches and 44 double arches (or 88 arches when counted
individually), followed by four single arches, totalling 166 arches in
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The construction of the aqueduct follows the principles laid out by
Vitruvius as he describes in his De Architectura published in the
mid-first century.
Construction — The first section of the aqueduct contains 36
semi-circular arches, rebuilt in the 15th century to restore a portion
destroyed by the Moors in 1072. The line of arches is organized in two
levels, decorated simply, in which predominantly simple moulds hold the
frame and provide support to the structure. On the upper level, the
arches have a total width of 5.1 meters (16.1 ft). Built in two levels,
the top pillars are both shorter and narrower than those on the lower
level. The top of the structure contains the channel through which water
travels, through a U-shaped hollow measuring 0.55 by 0.46 in
circumference size. The top of each pillar has a cross-section measuring
1.8 by 2.5 meters (5.9 by 8.2 feet), while the base cross-section
measures approximately 2.4 by 3 meters (7.9 by 9.8 feet).
Principal facade of the Aqueduct of Segovia. The aqueduct is built of
unmortared, brick-like granite blocks. During the Roman era, each of the
three tallest arches displayed a sign in bronze letters, indicating the
name of its builder along with the date of construction. Today, two
niches are still visible, one on each side of the aqueduct. One of them
is known to have held the image of Hercules, who according to legend was
founder of the city. The other niche now contains the images of the
Virgen de la Fuencisla (the Patroness of Segovia) and Saint Stephen.
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