Neala and Darwin travel to the past to build the Segovia aqueduct
Nowadays we are used to opening a tap and having drinking water without any effort. However, many years ago life was much less comfortable, and you had to travel to fetch water. Have you ever imagined how it reaches the cities? Well today you will discover it by knowing the history of the Segovia aqueduct!
- Darwin, don't you think that lately there is more awareness about caring for the environment?
- That's what it seemed to me. In the news they always talk about climate change and its consequences, and even more so now in summer when many fires occur. Did you hear that we have already consumed the resources for this year?
- Yes... We have access to so many things without effort that we do not value how lucky we are. Can you imagine having to go get water every day in this heat? How would they do years ago? Tric, tric, tric! What was that, Darwin? I thought I saw a spark in your wand.
- I've seen it too! It must be that awareness for the planet is greater and that my power is beginning to awaken. I'm going to shake it to see what they want to tell us! BOOM!
- Oh! It seems that we have traveled in time. Where will we be?
- There is a very large group of people moving blocks. They're stacking them up and bringing them closer to the city... I got it! Your wand has led us to the construction of the Segovia aqueduct!
The origin of the Segovia aqueduct
In the 1st and 2nd centuries AD, the Romans still dominated Hispania, which is our country. Although it wouldn't be too long until it finally ended up falling apart. They were known as the Roman Empire because they did not stop moving and conquering territories.
But they not only conquered, they also built architectural works such as bridges, walls and even roads, and many monuments that are still preserved. They also spoke in Latin, which gave rise to Spanish; the language we speak, as well as other similar ones, such as Italian or French.
In order to bring water to the cities, they came up with this fabulous construction. 17 kilometers from Segovia was the Río Frío, a distance too far to cover daily on foot. And so, although it took them a couple of decades to finish it, they created the majestic Segovia aqueduct.
But the Segovia aqueduct is not just the brick blocks and arches that we see in the photographs. Next to the river, a dam was created to channel the water and take it to the new construction.
-And what will the arches be used for?
- Well, from what they have explained to me, to overcome the unevenness of the ground and for the water to follow its course, arches of different sizes were created. The greater the slope, the greater the arcs. What a great way to transform an inconvenience into a work of art!
Why we should take care of water
By now, you probably already know how to save water at home or not waste it, since it is a scarce commodity. But just in case, we have taken advantage of the history of the Segovia aqueduct so that you are aware of how lucky we are and the work behind the comforts we have at home.
Around us we can find hundreds of constructions that formerly had functions similar to that of the Segovia aqueduct. We encourage you to observe and discover what cities used to be like!
