Aqueduct Interpretation Center
The Aqueduct of Segovia is one of the most emblematic monuments in Spain and was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985, it is the great symbol of the city.
This great work of Roman civil engineering, with a total length from its weir in the Sierra de Guadarrama to the Alcázar of 16,186 m, has brought water to Segovia for almost 2,000 years and is still the best preserved Roman aqueduct in the world.
The relationship between the Aqueduct and the Royal Mint goes back centuries. Coins bearing the aqueduct as one of the security marks were minted at the Royal Mint - first at the mint of Henry IV and later at the Royal Mint, built by Philip II in 1583 - so it can be said that this monument went around the world and became the emblem of Segovia.
It is because of this very old relationship that the Royal Mint complex houses this Aqueduct Interpretation Centre (CIA), a modern interactive and multimedia space.
The Aqueduct Interpretation Centre includes three ‘dioramas’, three three-dimensional representations that allow the viewer to immerse themselves in the construction of the aqueduct:
- The aqueduct's weir: the place where the water was collected.
- The quarries: The extraction of the granite for the ashlars.
- Construction of the aqueduct: The construction from pillar 105 to 115 with almost a hundred workers.
This centre also houses the original sculpture of the Virgin of the Aqueduct, which occupied one of the niches of the monument from 1520 to 2015. This work, which is 1.86 metres high and weighs around 800 kilos, was donated by Antonio de la Jardina, an assayer of the old mint located in the corralillo de San Sebastián. The second niche of the aqueduct was occupied by a sculpture of Saint Sebastian, the patron saint of coin minters in Segovia.
The Aqueduct Interpretation Centre allows visitors to view the sculptures of the Virgin of the Aqueduct and Saint Sebastian in detail, using QR codes and the interactive experience of augmented reality.
In addition, the exhibition includes an audiovisual set in the year 1520, when the Virgin was placed in the niche of the Aqueduct. This content is also available online at azoguejo1520.com.
Opening hours
- Monday and Tuesday: closed.
- Wednesday to Saturday from 10am to 2pm* and from 4pm to 6pm*.
- Sunday from 10 am to 2 pm*.
*Last access to the museum 30 minutes before closing time.
The Museum will be closed on December 22nd and 29th.
IMPORTANT:
The opening times are subject to change and should be confirmed in advance of your visit.
Fees
Segovia Royal Mint Complex: Aqueduct Interpretation Centre + Royal Mint Museum + King's Garden with audio guide
- General admission: 5 €.
- Reduced rate: 4 €.
- Rate for Segovians and large families with ID: 4 €.
- Free admission: Wednesdays except public holidays (for children up to and including 12 years of age and for teachers and people with an accredited disability of 33% or more).
