Aqueduct of Segovia is a Roman aqueduct built in order to supply the city with water. It takes the water from Buenfría spring, located in the mountain range 17 kilometers away from the city, in an area called La Acebeda. It follows a more than 15 kilometers path before reaching the city. Once there, the water is stored in a tank known as El Caserón, to be then conducted through a rocky passage to a second tower, called Casa de Agua, where the sand is separated from the water before continuing. It then travels 813 meters until reaching the top of Postigo, where the city used to be placed around Alcázar. But before that, in Día Sanz square, it turns around abruptly and it heads towards Azoguejo Square, where its deepest part is compensated with an arch, which represents the magnificence of the monument. Its highest part reaches 28 meters.
It dates back to II AD, between the end of Trajan reign and the beginning of Hadrian’s. Its name comes from the blending of two Latin words: aqua (water) and ducere (conduct.) Prior to its construction, Roman engineers had thoroughly studied the land, its unevenness and the possibilities of a future water route. The aqueduct of Segovia has become one of the symbols of the golden age of the Roman Empire, an example of how skilled this generation was in the field of engineering.
It is made of granite stones placed without cement between them. Above the three highest arches used to be a sign where the date and the name of the builder was written in bronze letters. On top of it two niches can also be seen, on each side of the aqueduct. It is known that in one of them the image of the Egyptian Heracles could be seen, who, according to legend, was the founder of the city. Nonetheless, this changed during the reign of the Catholic Monarchs, and images of Virgen del Carmen and San Sebastián were placed instead in the niches. On the current day, only the former image can be seen.
Moreover, during the reign of the Catholic Monarchs, the aqueduct went under reconstruction for the first time being the prior of Jerónimos del Parral monastery the one in charge. 36 arches were reconstructed, keeping it as close to the original as possible. In the 16th century, the forenamed statues were placed in the central niches.
The arches of the aqueduct is the city’s most important architectonical emblem. It has been active for centuries and it may be the reason why it still remains intact to this day. It brought water into the city of Segovia, more specifically into the Alcázar, but has recently stopped. Lately, environmental pollution as well as the natural granite erosion has visibly deteriorate the aqueduct. The architect Francisco Jurado has been in charge of the aqueduct’s thorough process of reconstruction for eight years.
Legend has it that a little girl used to climb to the top of the mountain to get water in a pitcher. One day, tired of going up and down everyday, she asked the Devil to build something so she would not have to do it anymore. The Devil granted her a wish in exchange for her soul if he could build the aqueduct before a cock crowed. The little girl accepted and, even though she regretted it, right when one single stone was left, the cock crowed. This way, the Devil lost and the little girl kept her soul. In the hole where that last stone should have been placed is where the statue of Virgen del Carmen can be seen now.
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