Bienvenida a los viajeros!
Welcome!
It’s a new week and a new adventure awaits! We are going to be moving backwards in time from last week to the late Roman Empire. Sorry for the time shift, but history is more interesting this way! Located in the middle of the Iberian Peninsula (present day Spain) is the city of Segovia. It is an extremely ancient city dating back to Celtic origins. But what we are most interested about is when the city was transferred over to the Roman Empire.
During the Roman Empire’s reign, the city of Segovia was conquered by the Roman general Metellus Puis. Rome was undergoing the Sertorian War (a civil war between the Roman Empire and the conquered lands in the Iberian Peninsula) when this defeat of Segovia took place. The general Hirtuleius who was defending Segovia at the time died in battle and handed over the city in 75 B.C.E. It was with this transfer from a formally Celtic city to the Roman Empire’s conquered providence that led to the most outstanding and prominent structure in Segovia: the Roman Aqueduct of Segovia.
Now for some of the dense description and understanding of this famous artifact. The city of Segovia is nettled in a valley surrounded by hills and mountains. Cutting straight through the main town is the towering structure of amazing engineering and technology that is one of the best preserved pieces of the Roman Empire today: The Roman Aqueduct of Segovia. The Aqueduct was mostly likely constructed during the Reign of Emperor Domitian (81 – 96 C.E.). It carries water from the Fuente Fria river located17 kilometers away in the mountains (that is 11 miles for us Americans with our funny measuring system). Once the water reaches the city, it is first collected in a tank known as El Caserón (or Big House in English), and is then passed through a channel to a second tower known as the Casa de Aguas (or Waterhouse in English). This is where the sand and minerals are filtered out of the water. Next the water travels 728 m (about 796 yards for us Americans) on a slight incline until the aqueduct reaches the highest point of the city, the Postigo. Then, at the center of town in the Plaza de Díaz Sanz , the aqueduct makes an abrupt turn and heads toward the Plaza Azoguejo where the monument comes to a halt. The aqueduct is tallest in the Plaza Azoguejo, reaching a height of 28.5 m (93.5 feet). There are single and double arches supported by pillars as seen in the image above. From the point the aqueduct enters the city, there is a total of 167 arches in all. Overall, this is a feat of engineering and architecture that almost seems impossible for the Romans to be able to achieve but they pulled through!
Thank you travelers to taking the time to learn about a monument that stands to impress. This aqueduct is truly a piece to praise for its size, beauty, and architecture! I know that I wish I was around during the Roman times to have seen it built just so I could understand how these people made such wonderful structures such as the grand colosseum to the apparently simple stretches of aqueducts. But I guess that is just something I will have to imagine. And besides, finding the hidden clues to the creation, purpose, and beauty of a monument is part of the reasons I enjoy history! Until next week!
Adios!