Les Ferreres Aqueduct
The Ferreres Aqueduct (Catalan: Aqüeducte de les Ferreres [əkwəˈðuktə ðə ləs fəˈrɛɾəs]), also known as the Pont del Diable ([ˈpɔn(d) dəl diˈabːlə]; English: "Devil's Bridge"), is an ancient bridge, part of the Roman aqueduct built to supply water to the ancient city of Tarraco, today Tarragona in Catalonia, Spain. 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 since 2000).
Les Ferreres Aqueduct Aqüeducte de les Ferreres | |
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Aqüeducte de les Ferreres in Tarragona, Spain | |
Coordinates | 41°8′48″N 1°14′37″E |
Carries | Aqueduct to Tarraco |
Locale | Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain |
Characteristics | |
Total length | 249 m |
Height | 27 m (without gallery) |
No. of spans | 25 (upper arcade) |
History | |
Construction end | Probably reign of Augustus (27 BC–14 AD) |
Elevation | |
Part of | Archaeological Ensemble of Tárraco |
Criteria | Cultural: (ii), (iii) |
Reference | 875-009 |
Inscription | 2000 (24th session) |
Area | 0.4 ha (43,000 sq ft) |
Buffer zone | 71.5 ha (0.276 sq mi) |
Les Ferreres Aqueduct Location in Catalonia |
Description
The Tarraco aqueduct took water from the Francolí river, 15 kilometers north of Tarragona. It probably dates from the time of the emperor Augustus.
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 (5.9m) with a variation of 15 cm. The distance between centres of the pillars is 26 Roman feet (7.95m).[1][2] It has a maximum height of 27 metres (89 ft) and a length of 249 metres (817 ft), including the ends where the specus (water channel) runs atop a wall.
Detail of the aqueduct Specus of the aqueduct Detail of the aqueduct arches At night
See also
- Roman bridges
- List of Roman aqueduct bridges