Roman engineers and soldiers built the aqueduct sometime during the late first or the early second century A.D., while Trajan was emperor.
Conquering Moors destroyed part of the aqueduct in the 11th century, but King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella restored it in the late 15th century by building 36 new pointed arches.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization designated The Old Town of Segovia and the aqueduct a World Heritage site in 1985.
The aqueduct carried water about 10 miles from the Rio Frio into the city. It functioned until the late 1800s.
The aqueduct is lit at night. Tourists can climb a staircase the top to see the aqueduct close up and view Segovia and the countryside.
The aqueduct is 2,950 feet long, contains about 170 arches and rises 90 feet. Builders constructed the aqueduct with 20,400 granite blocks that are balanced so precisely that they did not need mortar or clamps.
