The Ferreres Aqueduct ( ca, Aqüeducte de les Ferreres ), also known as the Pont del Diable (; en, "Devil's Bridge"), is an ancient

bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...

, part of the

Roman aqueduct The Romans constructed aqueducts throughout their Republic and later Empire, to bring water from outside sources into cities and towns. Aqueduct water supplied public baths, latrines, fountains, and private households; it also supported mining o ...

built to supply water to the ancient city of

Tarraco Tarraco is the ancient name of the current city of Tarragona (Catalonia, Spain). It was the oldest Roman settlement on the Iberian Peninsula. It became the capital of the Roman province of Hispania Citerior during the period of the Roman Republic ...

, today

Tarragona Tarragona (, ; Phoenician: ''Tarqon''; la, Tarraco) is a port city located in northeast Spain on the Costa Daurada by the Mediterranean Sea. Founded before the fifth century BC, it is the capital of the Province of Tarragona, and part of Tar ...

Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy. Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the north ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. The bridge is located 4 kilometers north of the city and it is part of the Archaeological Ensemble of Tarraco (listed as a UNESCO's

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

since 2000).

Description

The Tarraco aqueduct took water from the

Francolí The Francolí is a river in Catalonia (northeastern Spain). Its source is in the Prades Mountains and it flows into the Mediterranean Sea at Tarragona. This river has a highly irregular flow. It can cause seasonal floods some of which, like the 19 ...

river, 15 kilometers north of Tarragona. It probably dates from the time of the emperor

Augustus Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pri ...

. Les Ferreres Aqueduct is composed of two levels of arches: the upper section has 25 arches, and the lower one has 11. All arches have the same diameter of 20

Roman feet The ancient Roman units of measurement were primarily founded on the Hellenic system, which in turn was influenced by the Egyptian system and the Mesopotamian system. The Roman units were comparatively consistent and well documented. Length T ...

(5.9m) with a variation of 15 cm. The distance between centres of the pillars is 26 Roman feet (7.95m).Tarragona (Spain) at romanaqueducts.info
/ref> It has a maximum height of and a length of , including the ends where the specus (water channel) runs atop a wall. Image:Aqüeducte de les Ferreres Tarragona 2.jpg, Image:Aqüeducte de les Ferreres Tarragona 3.jpg, Image:Aqüeducte de les Ferreres Tarragona 1.jpg, Image:E5367-Tarragona-Aqueduct.jpg,

References

External links

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Les Ferreres AqueductArchaeological Ensemble of Tárraco - UNESCO's World Heritage Sites Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ferreres, Aqueducte de les World Heritage Sites in Catalonia Archaeological sites in Catalonia Roman aqueducts outside Rome Roman bridges in Catalonia Bridges completed in the 1st century Aqueducts in Spain Water supply and sanitation in Catalonia

Description

See also

References

External links