One of the works built during the time of the Roman empire which fortunately we can still admire today, is the very famous Aqueduct of Segoviain Spain.
Of course the Romans built many others! but this is one of the most impressive and best preserved that exists from that glorious era of Antiquity.
Has it ever occurred to you to think why the Romans went to Spain to build such a large aqueduct? And also… Do you know what it was for and how it was built?
To understand it, it is necessary to get on the time ship and travel back in time for a few years.
It will be very interesting. Are you in?
The powerful Roman Empire
The Romans couldn’t sit still! For several centuries they went from one place to another conquering large territories in Asia, Africa and Europe until in the 1st century BC C. Rome managed to become an immense empire.
Look closely at the pink area on the map. That entire part of the world belonged to the Roman Empire!
The supreme leader, the one who had all the power in his hands, was the emperor. The first to ascend the imperial throne was Caesar Augustus in the year 27 BC.
The romanization
The emperor’s domains were so large that to govern them it was necessary to have everything very well controlled. Therefore, from the moment the Romans invaded a territory, what is known as romanizationthat is, they imposed their way of governing, their laws, their culture and many of their customs, on the invaded peoples.
The Romans enter Hispania!
Yes, that’s how it was. One of the many territories conquered by Rome was Hispaniawhich is what it was called at that time Iberian Peninsulatoday formed by Spain and Portugal.
The brave and intrepid Romans, who were not a fool at all, discovered that in Hispania there were fantastic products such as came or the oiland so many gold Their eyes turned bright and they did not hesitate to take control of all those riches.
Since the year 209 a. c. Their armies infiltrated the Iberian Peninsula until they took over it and it became part of the vast Roman Empire.
From now on, we’re in charge!
In Hispania lived, depending on the area, different indigenous peoples, such as the iberiansthe asturesthe basques or the celtswith customs and languages very different from each other.
The Romans, as they did in the rest of their domains, annulled much of their lifestyle and imposed new rules.
One of the most important was the Latinwhich was the language that they spoke and from which the language that you now speak and with which I am telling you this was derived: the Spanish. They also established their own laws, the worship of their gods, the currency, the way of dressing…
The roman society It was much more advanced on a social, political and cultural level than the tribes that existed on the peninsula. The new inhabitants introduced many technical advances and what they knew how to do best: the large Public Worksas they were true experts in engineering and construction.
In Hispania they built walls, bridges, hot springs (public toilets), theaters, temples, aqueducts…
…And a huge road network (roads) to connect the cities and, in the process, make it easier for armies to move more comfortably and quickly from one place to another. No one could beat practical ones!
They changed the appearance of the cities, adapting them to their lifestyle, much more sophisticated than that of the old peninsular towns, and filled them with monuments. They also founded new ones, such as Hispalis (Seville), Augusta Emerita (Mérida) either Tarraco (Tarragona).
The Romans in Segovia
But let’s get to the point! If you are an astute reader you will have already deduced why a huge Roman aqueduct runs through the beautiful city of Segovialocated in the center of Hispania.
Segovia at that time was a very small town, but when the Romans passed through there, they built a new city in that place which they provided with important services. The most spectacular was the very famous aqueduct.
What is an aqueduct?
As I told you before, the Romans were above all very practical, and when they ran into a problem, they immediately studied an ingenious solution to get them out of trouble.
An aqueduct is, neither more nor less, the incredible construction that they came up with to bring water to cities through a canal.
When was the Segovia aqueduct built?
The date is not very clear, but everything indicates that it was towards the end of the 1st century AD or more probably to early 2nd century AD in the time of the emperor Trajan. It is estimated that it took about twenty years to finish.
Why was an aqueduct built in Segovia?
The inhabitants of Segovia needed water to supply their city. There was a wonderful river on the outskirts, the one called cold river, but of course… It was 17 kilometers away! Without trucks or cars like there are today, it wasn’t a plan to go looking for her with cauldrons, don’t you think?
Solution: The Romans designed and built a fabulous aqueduct from the river to the city. By the way, although it is now two thousand years old, it worked perfectly until the middle of the 20th century!
What is the route of the Segovia aqueduct?
When we think of the Segovia aqueduct, this image comes to mind:
Did you think that was all? No way! This is just a small part. The aqueduct begins its journey many kilometers before, next to the Frío River, so it has a length of 17 kilometers!
Logically, the first thing the Romans had to do was create a dam to collect and channel the river water. This dam is called weir.
From there, they built a canal to bring water to the town.
The water flowed through it without rest, in some areas in the open air and in others through an underground pipe.
See if these Romans were smart, they built a kind of treatment plant or tank at various points along the way where the water lost speed so that the leaves and sand would settle to the bottom and continue much cleaner and without obstructing the channel.
After this first section comes the second, where the canal continues its path over a system of arches to overcome uneven terrain.
If you notice, first they built small arches that little by little they become larger to adapt to the sloping ground.
But as the archery progressed, they ran into a very deep river valley that produced a large slope. The water had to follow its course without setbacks and they solved it with a genius: raising a double arch system, as you can clearly see in the diagram below. This is the best-known part of the aqueduct because it is the most grandiose and spectacular.
Once overcome the valley, it becomes again simple archery and reduces its size until it hides again underground and reaches the final point: the large cistern where the water was stored and then left from there through pipes to different parts of the city: fountains, hot springs… Gushing water for all citizens!
Curiosities about the arches of the Segovia aqueduct
The arch of the Segovia aqueduct is one kilometer long. It is made up of 167 arches, of which 44 are on top of another 44, forming the section of double arches. This is where the aqueduct reaches its maximum height: 28 meters, which is equivalent to a ten-story building!
It is amazing to know that it was built by putting some stone blocks on top of others without using mortar or cement, that is, without any type of glue! They are just held by the force they exert on each other!
Considering that some of these granite blocks weigh up to 2,500 kilos and 20,400 were used, it is incredible that they did not collapse.
Getting the blocks to their final place required a lot of effort. First they made ramps on the ground; Then, they moved each of the stones on wooden rollers pulled by men or draft animals.
Already at the site of the work, the stonemasons carved them and once ready they were raised through a system of pulleys using enormous metal tongs.
If you look at the photo above of the aqueduct, the stones have holes on two of their sides.
These holes were made by the stonemasons so that the tips of the tongs would catch well and there would be no danger of them falling. Smart decision, right?
As for the arches, they were built thanks to semicircular wooden frames supported by scaffolding called formwork. The stones were placed on them one by one and when they verified that the stone blocks were holding themselves, they removed them.
Do you want to know more things?
As you have seen, the Romans not only built the famous Coliseum. They built magnificent buildings throughout the empire and the Segovia aqueduct is an example of their advanced knowledge at a constructive and aesthetic level.
Do you want to know the secrets and curiosities of other great Works of Art in El Arte in your backpack? Click here