Segovia Aqueduct

The aqueduct of Segovia is a Roman public work located in the Plaza del Azoguejo in the city of Segovia, Castile and León, and is one of the best-preserved Roman aqueducts in the world. Built in the late 1st or early 2nd century AD under the emperors Domitian and Trajan, it transported water from the Fuenfría springs in the Sierra de Guadarrama mountains approximately 15 kilometres to the Roman city of Segovia. The most visually dramatic section traverses the valley at the foot of the old city with 166 double-tiered arches reaching a maximum height of 28.5 metres at the lowest point of the valley — a height necessitated by the geography of the terrain below the city. The structure is built entirely of granite blocks stacked without mortar or metal clamps, relying on the precision of their fitting and their combined weight for stability; this remains one of the most striking demonstrations of Roman engineering. The arches stand along a total length of approximately 728 metres. In the 15th century the Virgin of La Fuencisla was placed in a niche at the high point of the aqueduct; when the water supply was eventually replaced by modern pipes, the niche was replaced by a statue of the Roman god Hercules. The best vantage points are from the Plaza del Azoguejo at the base of the highest arches, where visitors can stand between the pillars and look directly up at the double tiers; from the upper city walls at the eastern end where the aqueduct enters the city; and from the mirador near the Plaza de San Juan where a longer elevation view is available. Segovia's old city, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, extends up the hill above the aqueduct to the Cathedral and the fairy-tale Alcázar castle.