Teach Through Educational Travel: Aqueduct in Segovia

The Romans were brilliant builders, and with their inventions, changed the world. Such is the case with Roman Aqueducts, which channeled water from distant water sources into cities. These aqueducts supplied water for the whole town – fountains, baths, toilets (!), and households. The genius part is that aqueducts, by their very construction, moved water without need for any mechanization or assistance – by using gravity. Aqueducts were built with a slight gradient, which allowed the water to flow unobstructed. Some of the aqueduct parts were underground, but the visible parts of the aqueducts were usually imposing bridges, built to cross waterways or skirt around mountains. Some ancient Roman aqueducts are still in use today! The invention of aqueducts supported the populace immensely and improved lives – they had constant, reliable water, instead of depending on rainwater, local water sources, and transporting water from far away. As you can imagine, health and hygiene were positively impacted by aqueducts.The aqueduct in Segovia, Spain (pictured here) is one of the best preserved and most important ancient Roman monuments in Spain. It is the city’s most important architectural landmark, and is featured in the coat of arms for Segovia! It was likely built in the 1st or 2nd century AD, and transports water from a river 11 miles away. Restoration projects have been in progress since 1997 – the Plaza Azoguejo is a pedestrian mall, and vehicular traffic is not allowed, as pollution has increased the rate of decay of the aqueduct.