Grand – a concept with many enterpretations. A moment I will never forget, is when I was walking down this street and first layed eyes on the Aqueduct in Segovia, Spain. In front of me were these two grand old gentlemen too, and I could listen to them discussing everyday problems.
The Aqueduct’s date of construction cannot be definitively determined, but at the end of the 20th century, a German archaeologist managed to determine that actually it was the Emperor Domitian (AD 81-96) who ordered its construction.
The aqueduct transports water from Fuente Fría river, situated in the nearby mountains, some 17 km (11 mi) from the city in the region La Acebeda. It runs another 15 km (9.3 mi) before arriving in the city.
The water is first gathered in a tank known as El Caserón (or Big House), and is then led through a channel to a second tower known as the Casa de Aguas (or Waterhouse). There it is naturally decanted and sand settles out before the water continues its route. Next the water travels 728 m (796 yd) on a one-percent grade until it is high upon the Postigo, a rocky outcropping on which the old city center was built. Then, at Plaza de Díaz Sanz (Díaz Sanz Square), the structure makes an abrupt turn and heads toward Plaza Azoguejo (Azoguejo Square). It is there the monument begins to display its full splendour.
At its tallest, the aqueduct reaches a height of 28.5 m (93 ft 6 in), including nearly 6 m (19 ft 8 in) of foundation. There are both single and double arches supported by pillars. From the point the aqueduct enters the city until it reaches Plaza de Díaz Sanz, it includes 75 single arches and 44 double arches (or 88 arches when counted individually), followed by four single arches, totalling 167 arches in all. The construction of the aqueduct follows the principles laid out by Vitruvius as he describes in his De Architectura published in the mid-first century.
For me, this meeting with the ancient Aqueduct was a truly grand moment.
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I love the aqueduct in Segovia. We performed music and dance with a group from the Islas Canarias under the arches of the aqueduct at midnight once when we lived in Spain. It was magical.
Are you a dancer and a musician too? Well, then you don’t need the quality of being a baker as well!
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I’ve never come across Segovia’s aqueduct before. Add another place to the bucket list. It reminds me of Pont Du Gard, which I visited a couple of years ago.
It does! Pont du Gard is stunningly beautiful, and lucky you to have visited now. I only remember walking on top of it in 1976 – and it I was a bit afraid of falling down. Its beauty I will never forget though. I remember it as having a warmer colour than this one and the surrounding landscape was beautiful.
Sadly, they don’t let you walk across it any longer.
Maybe that’s a good idea.
Beautiful pictures and the two gentlemen look so sweet!
Indeed they do!
I love these photos and the comparison between the grand architecture and the relationship between the two elderly men.
Thank you so much! I loved those two gentlemen.
THose aqueducts are truly grand. What an engineering feat!
Indeed! They were experts on this, the Romans.
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That is a grand piece of engineering indeed! And its state of preservation is just as marvelous! Great choice Ann Christine.
Thank you, Madhu. I guess I couldn’t go wrong with that piece of arcitechture..
Wonderful pics for the challenge, Ann Christine. Love the grand old gentlemen friends. 🙂
Yes, aren’t they sweet! I even dared a photo from in front…they didn’t mind!
How sweet of them . 🙂
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Great pictures. The shadow is magnificient too!
Thank you very much. The aqueduct talks to your every sense, doesn’t it? You cannot go wrong with a pictrure of this magnificent work of art.
I agree with you!!!
Grand entry by a grand lady *smile – never heard about before .. learn something new everyday – the top photo my favorite too. It’s so difficult to capture the grand-ness in moments and buildings like this … you have done a great job, as always.
Thank you, Viveka! It’s difficult, yes, and it’s so personal too. What you believe is grand, I mean. Your own feeling is impossible to transmit, but I love looking at other people’s enterpretations. I guess that’s why we all love these challenges, isn’t it?
So true, A-C, but I think most people see the nature, moment and buildings Grand, specially if they are famous. For me – I think about people when I hear the word grand. Like Mandela .. my grandpa … my mom – Dag Hammarsköjld – Raoul Wallenberg … but not easy to put in a photo challenge.
Have posted a little video today .. that I know you will love. *smile Gave you and your 4 legged boys a thought when I posted it.
Just saw it – you are really fantastic Viveca! Where do you find all these stories and things? Made my afternoon indeed! Thank you for sharing.
My pleasure … and thanks for the reblog. I came across it on Youtube … a couple of years ago.
Magnificent. Love the old gentlemen in the photo. They are grand, indeed.
They are! I even dared taking a photo when they turned around too.
Were they surprised?