Oh, Segovia…you take my breath away.

Segovia, Spain, which was destroyed and reconstructed by the Romans in 80 B.C., became one of the first Roman towns in Spain.

The aqueduct transported waters from Fuente Fría river, situated in the nearby mountains, some 17 km (11 mi) from the city in a region known as La Acebeda. It runs another 15 km (9.3 mi) before arriving in the city.

As the aqueduct lacks a legible inscription (one was apparently located in the structure’s attic, or top portion), the date of construction cannot be definitively determined. The actual date of the Aqueduct’s construction has always been considered a mystery although it was thought to have been during the 1st century AD.

Today, two niches are still visible, one on each side of the aqueduct. One of them is known to have held the image of Hercules, who according to legend was founder of the city.

The other niche now contains the images of the Virgen de la Fuencisla (the Patroness of Segovia) and Saint Stephen.

At the end of the 20th century, a German archaeologist managed to decipher the text on the dedication plaque by studying the anchors that held the now missing bronze letters in place. Using this method, he was able to determine that in actuality it was the Emperor Domitian (AD 81-96) who ordered its construction.

The aqueduct is built of unmortared, brick-like granite blocks. During the Roman era, each of the three tallest arches displayed a sign in bronze letters, indicating the name of its builder along with the date of construction.
We walked about a mile or so to find the channel that brought the water into town.
The water was 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  was naturally decanted and sand settled before the water continued its route. Next the water traveled 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, the Segovia Alcázar, was built.         ~All information was sourced from Wikipedia

I’m not sure if this little block filled with water at the top of the aqueduct  was the base of a former column or there for another purpose.  We see many groups of Spanish students, as well as other countries, touring the monument.

Requirement to go up the stairs to the VERY top is to pass by this forlorn, senior citizen beggar.

I pay my new beggar friend his modeling fee and take a close up. Sun is glaring and bright so it’s not the best lighting and I over exposed the image.  I should have used my new shawl  to block the bright light so I could have some nice diffused lighting.

Would-a-could-a-should-a…