Consuegra Dam

The Consuegra Dam is a ruined Roman buttress dam in Toledo province, Castilla–La Mancha, Spain. The dam dates to the 3rd or 4th century AD.[1] It is on the River Amarguillo upstream from Consuegra.

Consuegra Dam
Official name	Presa Romana de Consuegra
Location	Toledo province, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain
Coordinates	39°25′46.4″N 3°39′17.5″W
Opening date	3rd or 4th century
Dam and spillways
Impounds	Amarguillo (Guadiana basin)
Height	4.8 m
Length	>632.0 m
Width (base)	2.6 m

Although less than 5 metres high, the dam was remarkably long, over 600 metres. The reservoir seems to have had a dual function of supplying water to Consuegra and irrigating farmland. The settlement dates back to pre-Roman times and was important enough in Roman times to have a circus.[2][3]

The river Amarguillo has an irregular flow and in 1891 a flood badly damaged the town of Consuegra. The dam may also have suffered damage at this time.

The aftermath of a flood of the river Amarguillo

Conservation

The structure is protected by the heritage listing Bien de Interés Cultural.

See also

• List of Roman dams and reservoirs
• Roman architecture
• Roman engineering

Notes

1. Arenillas & Castillo 2003
2. Spann 2016
3. "Tras las huellas del circo romano de Consuegra". ABC (in Spanish). 2018.

References

• Arenillas, Miguel; Castillo, Juan C. (2003), "Dams from the Roman Era in Spain. Analysis of Design Forms (with Appendix)", 1st International Congress on Construction History [20th–24th January], Madrid, retrieved 29 December 2018 – via TRAIANVS
• Spann, P (2016), Places: 265876 (Consabura/Consabrum), retrieved 1 July 2019 – via Pleiades

Further reading

• García-Diego, José A.; Díaz-Marta, Manuel; Smith, Norman (1980), "Nuevo estudio sobre la presa romana de Consuegra" (PDF), Revista de obras públicas, 127 (3181): 487–505
• García-Diego, José A.; Fernández Casado, Carlos (1983), "Estudio conjunto sobre la presa romana de Consuegra (I)" (PDF), Revista de obras públicas, 130 (3215): 491–502
• García-Diego, José A.; Fernández Casado, Carlos (1983), "Estudio conjunto sobre la presa romana de Consuegra (II)" (PDF), Revista de obras públicas, 130 (3216): 585–599
• García-Diego, José A.; Fernández Casado, Carlos (1983), "Estudio conjunto sobre la presa romana de Consuegra (III)" (PDF), Revista de obras públicas, 130 (3217): 673–688
• Díaz-Marta, Manuel; Mezquiriz, Maria Ángeles (1983), "Comentarios al estudio conjunto sobre la presa romana de Consuegra" (PDF), Revista de obras públicas, 131 (3223): 191–205
• Schnitter, Niklaus (1978), "Römische Talsperren", Antike Welt, 8 (2): 25–32 (29)