The word “aqueduct” comes from aqua (water) and ducere (to lead) and it is not known exactly when the aqueduct was built, but experts date it to the 2nd century AD, some time after 112 AD (at the end of Trajan's government or during the reign of the Emperor Hadrian).
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Here are some of the most outstanding characteristics and curiosities of the Segovia Aqueduct, one of the most important monuments in Spain.
- Its name comes from aqua (water) and ducere (to lead).
- It is not known exactly when it was built; experts date it to the 2nd century AD, after the year 112 AD (the end of Trajan's government or already in Hadrian's).
- The first written reference to the aqueduct is found in a document in Segovia Cathedral, dated 1201.
- The first representations of the aqueduct are in the Romanesque Canecillo of the Church of Peñasrrubias (12th century) and in Cantiga 107 of Alfonso X the Wise in 1280.
- It was declared a Historical Monument by Royal Order of 11th October 1884.
- Its total length is 16,186 m. (Total length of the transport conduit, not including the catchment dam, 28 m long).
- From the weir (including the 1929 weir) to the first urban sand trap, the aqueduct is 13,393 m long.
- The section between the two sand drains (both included) is 794 m long.
- From the San Gabriel sand trap to the Avendaño Square (monumental section) there are 776m.
- The underground canal (from Obispo Gandasegui street to the Alcazar gate) is 1,220 m long.
- Its gradient varies between 0.3% (bridge) and 5.53%.