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Acueducto Romano Review

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Acueducto Romano

Address: Pl. del Azoguejo, Segovia, 40001

Category: Archaeological Sites
Location: Segovia

Write a review | Avg. member rating: 5.0/5

Fodor's Review:

Segovia's Roman aqueduct ranks with the Pont du Gard in France as one of the greatest surviving examples of Roman engineering, and this is the city's main event, sightseeing-wise. If you take the AVE in from Madrid on a day trip, the inner-city bus drops you right there. Spanning the dip that stretches from the walls of the old town to the lower slopes of the Sierra de Guadarrama, it's about 2,952 feet long and rises in two tiers—above what is now the Plaza del Azoguejo, whose name means "highest point"—to a height of 115 feet. The raised section of stonework in the center originally carried an inscription, of which only the holes for the bronze letters remain. The massive granite blocks are held together by neither mortar nor clamps, but the aqueduct has been standing since the end of the first century AD. The only damage it has suffered is the demolition of 35 of its arches by the Moors, and these were later replaced on the orders of Ferdinand and Isabella. Steps at the side of the aqueduct lead up to the walls of the old town. Because pollution from the freeway that passes through the aqueduct has weakened the structure, the road underneath has been closed to traffic.

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Member Reviews and Ratings

Reviewed by bachslunch from US on 2/6/08
Striking piece of engineering, both functional and aesthetically pleasing. Definitely worth a look, and it's free.