Test Review: Read about the Segovian Aqueduct, the Romans, the Espada Aqueduct and learn about the adventures from Mr. Heikell's 2016 Spain Trip. There will be questions over these topics.
SPANISH 2 |
The Segovian Aquaduct
It must have been one of the largest in the Roman world.
The aqueduct is thought to have been built during the Flavian dynasty, from the second half of the first century to the early 2nd century AD under the Emperors Vespasian and Trajano in order to carry the water of the River Acebeda to the city. This impressive work of engineering, still in excellent condition, begins near the Palace of La Granja, with single arches bringing the water to the tank known as El Caserón. Then, a stonework channel carries it to a second tower, and when it arrives at Plaza de Díaz Sanz, it begins to form two monumental rows of arches, one on top of the other. There is no mortar or cement between the 20,400 blocks of stone, which remain standing solidly in a perfect balance of forces. The tallest point of the construction is on Plaza del Azoguejo, where it is 93.6 ft. high, with a total of 167 arches. There is an Aqueduct Interpretation Centre in the Royal Segovia Mint, a modern interactive space with multimedia content that follows the journey of the water, guiding visitors through 9 miles of the world's best-preserved Roman aqueduct and more than 2,000 years of history of this masterpiece of engineering, declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1985.
The aqueduct is thought to have been built during the Flavian dynasty, from the second half of the first century to the early 2nd century AD under the Emperors Vespasian and Trajano in order to carry the water of the River Acebeda to the city. This impressive work of engineering, still in excellent condition, begins near the Palace of La Granja, with single arches bringing the water to the tank known as El Caserón. Then, a stonework channel carries it to a second tower, and when it arrives at Plaza de Díaz Sanz, it begins to form two monumental rows of arches, one on top of the other. There is no mortar or cement between the 20,400 blocks of stone, which remain standing solidly in a perfect balance of forces. The tallest point of the construction is on Plaza del Azoguejo, where it is 93.6 ft. high, with a total of 167 arches. There is an Aqueduct Interpretation Centre in the Royal Segovia Mint, a modern interactive space with multimedia content that follows the journey of the water, guiding visitors through 9 miles of the world's best-preserved Roman aqueduct and more than 2,000 years of history of this masterpiece of engineering, declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1985.
Here's how it worked...
The use of gravity. Once all of the stones were in place, stones were set in the center most part of the arch. These final stones are what keep the entire arch in place. They are called key stones because they keep the form together. The weight of the stones in the arch would cause the stones to fall to the ground if it weren't for theses four keystones. The arch is constantly pressing against them and could not exist with out them. These stones are therefore "key" to the existence of the arch.
I took this picture to illustrate how this aqueduct works. Water would be channeled from the water source, the River Acebeda, eleven miles away. It traveled another 9 miles to reach the edge of the city. It is then directed to a large holding tank until needed. Once in the water house any dirt or sand the existed in the water would fall to the bottom of the tank. From there it would be channeled to a second water house (that can be seen at the end of the channel above and also in the picture below) and any left over impurities would be collected there.
HEIKELL 2015