Obra de Eduardo Torroja: puentes. Informes de la Construcción N° 131, 1961

Roman and Medieval Aqueduct Bridges on the Landscape of Spain: Issues of Construction

“…One type of study involves detailed investigations into the architecture of a single aqueduct bridge [11,12]. The other type of study involves summaries of multiple elevated aqueducts, again focusing on architecture [4,13]. The first type of studies involved fieldwork whereas the second type were conducted using secondary sources, not in a comparative sense but more like catalogs.…”

“…Pictures and drawings in books and articles simply do not capture the true essence of material features on the cultural landscape [14,15]. Published and online materials were used to locate elevated aqueducts and as secondary sources of information [4,16]. The paper begins with descriptions and assessments of select Roman aqueduct bridges in Spain.…”

“…Unquestionably the most prominent, even iconic, aqueduct bridge in Spain is the one located in the heart of the city of Segovia (40°56'53"N 4°07'04"W). The piers of this two-tiered structure are relatively thick, each being less than half the span of the arches [4] (pp. .…”

“…Perhaps the second most celebrated Roman aqueduct bridge in Spain is the one that brought water into the city of Tarragona (Figure 3). Known as Puente del Diablo or Puente de la Ferreras, this two-tiered structure is located 3 km north of the city center (41°08'46"N 1°14'38"W) [4] (pp. 10-28), [13] (pp.…”

“…Aqueduct bridges (aka elevated aqueducts, arcades) are components of larger aqueduct systems that facilitate the flow of water over gorges, valleys, or low-lying lands [1][2][3]. Many of those built by ancient Romans, and still surviving whole or in part, are so large as to be well-studied "irresistible spectacles" on cultural landscapes [4,5] (p. 2). Others are small and have garnered little scholarly attention.…”