A picnic spot with real open-air museum exhibits is located near the center of Rome, in its southeastern part. The Aqueduct Park (Parco degli Acquedotti) in 1988 was included in the regional park Appia Antica (Appia Antica Parco), although the reconstruction plan was conceived as early as 1965. In the 1970s, the territory was cleared of barracks, but for several years it remained simply abandoned and very tempting for new illegal buildings. In 1986, citizens who were not indifferent to the historical heritage of Rome created a Committee that dealt with the issues of the park. Thanks to his activities, it was possible to preserve the antiquity of the buildings located on the territory in an untouched, “pure” form.

There are quite a few tourists in the Aqueduct Park, so touching and approaching Eternity here is quite simple. Perhaps there is some charm in this, when contact with Greatness occurs one on one. On weekends, locals relax here, and in the morning and evening on weekdays, the area is somewhat enlivened by lovers of a healthy lifestyle who run, ride bicycles, play tennis and golf. Dog breeders and even gardeners do not leave their attention to the park (on the territory there are vegetable beds and meadows planted with potatoes).

The ruins of aqueducts are located on the park square. Here you can also see the preserved ancient water conduits, which are still active. Nearby are fountains with high-quality drinking water, and pine trees lined up in a row resemble the outlines of aqueduct arches.

The Aqueduct Park is unique in Italy. Located in a picturesque valley, seven of the eleven Roman aqueducts are located on its territory:

• Anio Vetus (Aqua Anio Vetus) - an aqueduct built underground, received the name "old" (vetus) after the construction of the Anio Novus (new) conduit;
• Marcia (Aqua Marcia) is the longest supplier of the purest water in the city. Despite its venerable age and numerous reconstructions, it functions to this day;
• Tepula (Aqua Tepula) - interesting fact is that initially the water entering Rome through its system was warm and intended for technical purposes, as evidenced by the name of the conduit. Subsequently, Aqua Tepula was connected to other conduits;
• Julia (Aqua Iulia) - the aqueduct, at one time, provided Caelius and Aventine;
• Felice (Aqua Felice) - represents a kind of "remake" and is the youngest still operating aqueduct. From certain angles, you can see three aqueducts fed by mountain water at once - Aqua Marcia - the oldest and destroyed, Aqua Felice - relatively young, and Aqua Claudio - a majestic monument of the era;
• Claudia (Aqua Claudia) - the ruins of the building allow you to see the construction of the ground part of the Roman aqueduct from afar. The structure was restored and reconstructed more than once, but, unfortunately, it has not been completely preserved to this day;
• Anio Novus (Aqua Anio Novus) - the aqueduct, due to the construction of purification pools, helped to some extent solve the problem of muddy water entering the city.

By visiting the Aqueduct Park, you can see the famous and most significant for ancient rome Appian Way, the history of which goes far into the past (4th century BC). Speaking of a more modern period, it should be noted that the territory of the park has repeatedly become a place for filming films. Famous paintings showing the beauties of the Aqueduct Park are such as (1959), (1962), "Marquis del Grillo" (1981), "The Great Beauty" (2013), as well as the TV series "Rome", familiar to lovers of the history of Rome.

In order to be able to view the archaeological finds and the sights available in the park, we would recommend purchasing a guide in advance that will help you navigate and understand which aqueducts are nearby and why they are significant. Such brochures are easy to purchase, for example, at.

The magnificent Aqueduct Park will not leave anyone indifferent! Take a break from the bustle of the city and enjoy the Eternal City!

Aqueduct Park on the map:

How to get to the Aqueduct Park:

Metro Line A. Stations – Cinecittà, Subaugusta, Giulio Agricola, Lucio Sestio

Aqueduct (from Latin aqua - water and ducere - conduct) - a conduit (canal, pipe) for supplying water to settlements, irrigation and hydropower systems from their sources located above.

An aqueduct in a narrower sense is called a part of a conduit in the form of a bridge over a ravine, river, road. Sufficient in width aqueducts could also be used by courts. An aqueduct is similar in structure to a viaduct, with the difference that it is used to carry water instead of organizing a road or railway track.

Aqueducts are built of stone, brick, reinforced concrete or steel. Such structures consist of a base on which stone, cast-iron or brick supports are erected (usually stone arches are placed between them for stability), and a bank abutment, on which pipes are laid or ditches are arranged.
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Pont du Gard, France, an ancient Roman aqueduct that has survived to this day, one of the most visited places in France by tourists

Although most associated with the Romans, aqueducts were invented centuries earlier in the Middle East, where the Babylonians and Egyptians built elaborate irrigation systems. Roman-style aqueducts were in use as early as the 7th century BC. when the Assyrians built a limestone aqueduct 10 meters high and 300 meters long to carry water across the valley to their capital, Nineveh; the total length of the aqueduct was 80 kilometers.

The Romans built numerous aqueducts to carry water to cities and industrial sites. Water was supplied to the city of Rome itself through 11 aqueducts, which were built over 500 years and had a total length of almost 350 kilometers. However, only 47 kilometers of these were above ground: most were underground (the Eifel aqueduct in Germany is a very well-preserved example of this). The longest Roman aqueduct was built in the 2nd century AD to supply water to Carthage (now this place is located on the territory of modern Tunisia), its length was 141 kilometers.

During the construction, advanced building materials were used - such as waterproof pozzolanic concrete.

Roman aqueducts were extremely complex structures, technologically they were not obsolete even 1000 years after the fall of the Roman Empire. They were built with remarkable accuracy: the Pont du Gard aqueduct in Provence had a slope of only 34 cm per kilometer (1:3000), descended only 17 meters vertically, for its entire length of 50 kilometers.

The transport of water by gravity alone was very efficient, with 20,000 cubic meters of water per day passing through the Pont du Gard. Sometimes, when crossing surface depressions with a drop of more than 50 meters, pressure water pipelines were created - siphons (although almost always the insides of bridges were used for this purpose). Modern hydraulic engineering uses similar techniques to allow sewers and water pipes to cross various depressions.

Much of the expertise of Roman engineers was lost during the Dark Wars, and aqueduct construction in Europe virtually ceased until the 19th century. Water was often obtained by digging wells, although this could cause public health problems when the local water supply became contaminated.

One notable exception was the New River, an artificial waterway in England opened in 1613 to supply London with fresh drinking water. Its length was 62 kilometers. The development of canals gave a new impetus to the construction of aqueducts. However, only in XIX century their construction was resumed on a large scale to supply water to rapidly growing cities and to industrial places in need of water. Developments in new materials (such as concrete and cast iron) and new technologies (such as the steam engine) have enabled many significant improvements. For example, cast iron allowed the construction of large siphons loaded with high pressure, and the creation of steam-powered pumps made it possible to significantly increase the speed and volume of the water flow.

In the 19th century, England became the leading power in the construction of aqueducts, providing water to its largest cities such as Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool. The largest aqueducts were built in the United States to supply water to the largest cities in this country. The Catskill Aqueduct brought water to New York 190 kilometers away, but this achievement was eclipsed by aqueducts in the far west of the country, most notably the Colorado River Aqueduct, which supplied water to Los Angeles and the surrounding area from a distance of 400 kilometers to the east. Although such aqueducts are undoubtedly great technical achievements, the sheer amount of water they carried has resulted in severe environmental damage resulting from the depletion of the rivers.

Water use in the Roman Empire

The province of Syria was under the rule of Rome for more than seven centuries - from 64 BC. e. until 637. This province was conquered by the Arabs in the 7th century. In peacetime, the Romans wasted huge amounts of water. In the capital alone, there were thousands of fountains, drains with drinking water, baths and other water consumers. Wealthy senators bathed in their own pools and built little fountains in their gardens. Therefore, 500 liters of water were consumed daily per person (today in Europe, an average of about 125 liters per person). It was Roman engineers who came up with standard lead pipes, high arched aqueducts and pipelines designed for a pressure of 15 atmospheres.

However, when, shortly before the birth of Christ, the Roman legions came to the barren lands of Palestine, they had to give up their habits, at least for a while. The conquered territory turned out to be too dry, there was not enough water. But this obstacle did not stop the conquerors. They soon figured out how to solve the problem that confronted them. In the former Roman province of Syria (now the territory of the Jordan), German scientists have been studying a huge system of artificial canals for several years. Part of the Roman pipeline is underground and these tunnels are 106 km long.

underground aqueduct

The tunnel was discovered in 2004 by Matthias Döring, professor of fluid mechanics at the Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences (Germany). The study of the ancient aqueduct continues to this day. Moreover, scientists have only recently been able to imagine in general terms the history of the creation of a giant water pipe. locals, who called the aqueduct Qanat Firaun - "Pharaoh's channel", believed that gold was hidden in the tunnels dug at a depth of up to 80 m. Dering was the first to realize that the aqueduct had Roman roots. The water supply began at a swamp in Syria, which has long been dried up: 64 km it went on the surface and then disappeared underground three times in tunnels 1, 11 and 94 km long. Previously, scientists considered the longest underwater channel ancient world aqueduct in Bologna, which was 19 km long.

Aqueduct construction methods

The aqueduct tunnels are plastered with waterproof lime mortar, Greek inscriptions are preserved on the walls, and whole colonies of bats live under the ceiling. “Sometimes we even had to interrupt work because people didn’t have enough oxygen in the caves,” said the project leader.

Decapolis cities

A group of ten cities located on eastern border Roman Empire (modern Jordan, Israel and Syria). These cities did not represent an official league or political union, but they were united by a common language, culture, geographical location and political status. The cities of the Decapolis were at the center of regions where Semitic culture flourished. Nabateans, Aramaeans and Jews lived here. Each city had some autonomy and self-government. The names of these ten cities are known thanks to the Roman writer Pliny the Elder. According to other sources, the Decapolis consisted of 18-19 cities. The aqueduct was most likely built by legionnaires. The soldiers hollowed out long corridors and raised more than 600 thousand cubic meters to the surface. m of stones (as an equivalent, this volume can be compared with one quarter of the pyramid of Cheops). This colossal water supply project provided the city of the Decapolis with water supplies. The aqueduct ended at Gadara, a city with a population of 50,000.

Rise of the Roman Empire and the City of Gadara

Dering, along with his students, conducted research using a theodolite, a surveying instrument that measures horizontal and vertical angles, and GPS devices. Scientists have been looking for new entrances leading to this underground tunnel. In the end, the researchers were able to determine that the construction of underground utilities began in 90 AD. e. At that time, the emperor Domitian (81-96) ruled Rome, and the empire was in its heyday. The Roman aristocrat Sextus Julius Frontinus (40−103) supervised the construction of nine stone aqueducts in the eternal city and introduced some technical innovations. The Levant was also on the rise thanks to trade with eastern countries. Tigers were brought to Rome, a hand-held lion walked around the throne of Domitian, wealthy senators bought Indian spices and wore clothes made of Chinese silk. Anyone could afford incense or slaves from Arabia. Trade routes across the desert flourished during this period. Many caravans approached the gates of Gadar, which became over time major city. The Romans built two theaters there and even planned the construction of a nymph temple with fountains and a pool 22 meters long.

Water scarcity and the difficulty of building an aqueduct

However, there were not enough local sources, so this region soon began to suffer due to water shortages. The city administration was forced to urgently take some measures. In a remote region of Syria, the Romans found a river from which they began to build a water pipe from Roman concrete (Latin opus caementicium).

The channel was covered with slabs from above to protect it from animals, birds and dirt. In addition, algae did not grow in the canal in complete darkness. The first city through which the water pipe passed was Adraa. But then the mountainous regions of the Northern Jordan blocked the way to the canal. The first serious obstacle for Roman engineers was the wide gorge of Wadi al-Shalal, 200 m deep. The Romans could not build a bridge across such an abyss. But nevertheless, they found a way out of this situation.

The aqueduct near the gorge turns sharply to the left and follows the mountainous region to the south. When the unevenness of the landscape made it impossible to lay an aqueduct on the surface, the Romans began to cut through the rocks an underground channel, the length of which was 11 km. So the engineers got to the place where the gorge became much narrower, and where they were able to build a bridge. The bridge itself has not survived to this day, but the stone blocks from which it was built still rest at the bottom of the gorge. However, after the gorge, the road became even more difficult - hills and steep descents constantly appeared on the way. The Romans had already encountered similar problems near Carthage, so they built an arched stone aqueduct 19 km long.

underground construction

Further, they decided to build the canal underground - thanks to this decision, the Romans did not need to build bridges over ravines and gorges. The builders simply hollowed out tunnels underground. However, serious difficulties arose here as well. In antiquity, people did not yet know the compass. Therefore, they could not navigate underground and know exactly where to lay the tunnel further and how to ensure sufficient ventilation of the underground channel. Having broken through only a few meters, the workers could not breathe normally - the entire passage was filled with a thick curtain of dust during construction. In addition, in the tunnel, which averaged 2.5 m high and 1.5 m wide, only four legionnaires could work at the same time. And four people per day advanced only 10 cm. If the work went at such a pace, then the Romans could still dig a tunnel to Gadar.

Mine system

Surveyors, engineers and miners made a short trip to the east and found a solution to these problems. Dering is confident that he was able to understand exactly how the ancient builders worked. “We found a lot of indications that the engineers first mapped out the path of the water supply on the surface, and then after a certain distance, from 20 to 200 meters, they built inclined shafts to the underground channel.” Fresh air also penetrated down through these shafts. But most importantly, this method allowed hundreds of people to work simultaneously, connecting sections of the canal to each other, moving towards each other. The legionnaires worked mainly with a sharpened chisel, lighting the tunnel with oil lamps.

Research by modern scientists

Today, old mines allow scientists to pinpoint the location of an ancient underground aqueduct. “Almost all the service entrances were sealed up so that the animals would not fall into the mines. Some of the mines ended up being backfilled or filled with construction debris,” Dering explained. And in one of the mines, scientists found chicken bones. The descent into the mines is somewhat complicated even now - scientists are forced to use climbing equipment. Stairs go deep at an angle of 50 °, and the steps over time became overgrown with moss and became too slippery to simply go down. In the tunnel itself, complete darkness reigns, sometimes the researchers do not have enough air. The passages are blocked by fragments of blocks, in such places rainwater collects, which sometimes reaches almost to the waist.

Aqueduct Mysteries

Today, scientists have already found about 300 mines. But they still have a lot of questions that researchers still have not been able to get answers to. “For example, during the first 60 kilometers, the slope of the underground channel is only 0.3 per thousand centimeters,” the head of the project explained. That is, for 1 km, the tunnel goes down by only 30 cm - this is very little. The Romans did not have a level, they used a six-meter tool called a chorobat, which they borrowed from the Persians. They also filled goat intestines with water to calculate the slope at the corners of the structure. However, the existence of these primitive tools does not explain the amazing accuracy with which the aqueduct was built.

“First, surveyors had to calculate the exact multi-kilometer route of the aqueduct and mark this path with poles,” said Dering. Even this was extremely difficult to do in the uneven terrain. Then they had to repeat this path deep underground down to the last centimeter. But how exactly did they manage to do it with such high accuracy? The aqueduct could not be built directly under the intended line, since the shafts did not go deep into the vertical, but at an angle. It is surprising that Roman builders did not make serious mistakes. In order to meet underground and connect the sections of the tunnel, the legionnaires had to know exactly which way to dig. But the only way to communicate between building sections could only be by tapping. The workers were chiselling the stone, focusing on this sound, but they could well have taken it to the side - then the tunnel would have had a zigzag appearance. But all tunnels are absolutely straight.

The result of construction

It took Roman engineers 120 years to complete the aqueduct. Only after that, underground and surface channels were filled with water from a distant Syrian river. The researchers studied the mineral deposits on the walls of the tunnels and concluded that the flow of water was rushing at a speed of 300 to 700 liters per second.

However, the people of Gadar were disappointed. Initially, it was believed that the water would be collected in a high stone reservoir, which could supply the city fountains and the temple planned for construction. But that did not happen. Apparently, surveyors and engineers made a number of serious mistakes. And the water, having traveled 170 km, arrived in the city too slowly for the great plans of the Romans to become possible. The reservoir was not completely filled, and the fountains in the city did not work. According to Dering, this aqueduct hides many more mysteries. Therefore, the scientist and his team will continue to study the aqueduct from April 2009.

Builder site

Roman Concrete book. Chapter Ⅲ Benefit, strength and beauty.

Water supply in ancient Rome.

Construction of aqueducts in ancient Rome.

Aqueducts are the main evidence of the greatness of the Roman Empire.

Frontin

These words belong to Sextus Julius Frontinus (late I - early II century AD), a major statesman of Ancient Rome, who was twice a consul, successfully fought in Britain and, in his old age, received the title of "water inspector". Having taken such a high post, Frontin, who thoroughly studied all the technical and economic issues related to the construction and operation of water pipes, wrote the book "Water pipes of the city of Rome"! which was of great importance not only in the era of the Roman Empire, but also in subsequent centuries. Many building elements in Roman aqueducts were made of concrete.

Water among the Greeks and Romans, as well as among many more ancient peoples. It was considered something divine, one of the main elements of the universe. This belief probably came from the Middle East, where fresh water has always been of great value. In the same place in the Middle East, long before the emergence of the ancient Roman state, dams, dams and stone conduits were built to collect water. In the 7th century BC e. near ancient Nineveh, a large water conduit 40 km long was built. To transfer it across the river valley, the Assyrians built a stone bridge (aqueduct) with five vaulted arches, each with a span of 2.74 m. For 900 m, it was an open channel laid in an artificial stone bed, about 2.3 m wide. Perhaps it was one of the first aqueducts built by humans.

In ancient Rome, water pipes began to be built at the end of the 6th century. BC e. The first great aqueduct in Rome was built by Appius Claudius, the famous builder of the Appian Way. This event took place in 312 BC. e., in the same year with the opening of the first strategic road. The relatively short water pipeline, 16.5 km long, mostly ran underground, starting outside the city from a spring in quarries and ending at the Tiber, next to the harbor, where brisk contractors brought marble and granite blocks from Egypt. That's what they called him - Appian.

Most water pipelines, as well as temples, theaters, roads and other responsible and unique structures, got their name from their builders, or rather the people who financed the construction and were responsible for it. They were usually high-ranking state censors, praetors, aediles, and often consuls and the emperors themselves.

In 272 BC. e. a second aqueduct was laid in Rome, which was completed two years later. He supplied the capital with water from the Anio River, located 70 km from the city.

The water supply of Rome was difficult due to the rugged terrain, as the city is located on seven hills surrounded by the flat territory of Campania. Water supply was carried out with the help of water conduits, which within the city were located on aqueducts - special structures in the form of bridges (Fig. 24). The conduit passed over the top of the aqueduct and was a channel in the form of a gutter, made of stone, brick or concrete. When the water pipeline approached the city, water towers were built, which, according to the principle of operation, resembled modern water structures, although they differed from them in distribution systems for water.

The third aqueduct in Rome - Aqua Marcia - was built in 44 BC. e. This hydrotechnical structure, unique for that time, served as a model for later Roman construction. In the books of ancient Roman authors, the aqueduct of Marcius is mentioned as a significant milestone in the great days of the Republic. Especially on the route of the water supply, a grandiose aqueduct stood out, rising almost 60 m above the level of the Tiber. The total length of the water pipeline reached 91.3 km, of which the aboveground part was 11.82 km, and the daily flow rate of the supplied water was 200 thousand m 3. It was built from beautiful natural stone by the hands of slaves - captive Greeks and Carthaginians.

Rice. 24. Aqueducts near Rome, crossing the Via Latina, reconstruction

Its culvert bed had a width of 1.37-1.68 m and a height of 2.44-2.75 m. rebuilt. So, 17 years after the completion of construction, the Tepula aqueduct was laid along it, and another 100 years later, the Julia aqueduct, where brick and concrete were already used as building materials.

During the time of Emperor Augustus, when great construction work began in the country, they were led by the emperor's friend and son-in-law, the commander Mark Vipsanius Agrippa. He is credited with the construction of many structures, including temples, baths and water pipes.

On the territory of countries around the world, sometimes there are amazing structures, the construction plan of which is sometimes difficult to understand by their appearance. Such, for example, is the aqueduct. This massive structure resembles a bridge with high arches at the bottom. However, this is not the case.

The construction of these structures began long before the advent of modern water supply. Even in ancient Rome, in order to deliver water from high-lying reservoirs to the fields, in settlements and other necessary places, built aqueducts. A synonym for this word in its narrower sense is the term "conduit".

An aqueduct is a structure above a road or other obstacle for carrying water through a canal or pipe. As a rule, the material for the construction of this structure is stone, iron or concrete. There was no special mechanism for supplying water: from a reservoir located high, at a natural angle, the liquid flowed to the required place.

It should be noted that the irrigation aqueducts of Ancient Rome, and not only Rome, were open. While their plumbing counterparts were built with ventilation and completely isolated from external influences. Such structures can be found all over the world: in Vienna, Sevastopol, Paris, New York and other megacities and small towns.

The very first are the Roman aqueducts. The rapid growth of the city's population forced the architects of that time to bow their heads over the drawings and develop a design for a structure that could help provide water to the needs of the people. All kinds of containers, channels and locks, interconnected, turned into the world's first water supply system. Water in these tanks came from mountain sources located near the city. At the same time, when a road or a ravine met on the path of a swift stream, a special arched structure was built - an aqueduct. This architectural solution was widely used not only in the empire, but throughout the world.

The Claudius aqueduct was considered the largest building of this type in Rome. It is easy to guess that it was built in honor of the emperor with the same name. The construction of the building took place in the 1st century AD. Rough stones and massive blocks from which the aqueduct was built gave him power and strength. Thanks to this, many scientists considered the structure to be one of the most amazing structures on earth. The water supply link was located at the intersection of roads, which, as one would expect, led to Rome. The first is Via Labicana. The second is Via Praenestina. The height of the building at 27 meters made it possible to create a huge gate, called the Porta Maggiore.

There is also an aqueduct on the territory of modern Russia. This building is located in Moscow. The popular name of this miracle of architecture is the Million Bridge. Original - Rostokinskiy aqueduct. Once it was the longest in Russia (356 meters) and was built over 25 years. For this process, a colossal amount for those times was spent - more than 1 million rubles, hence the name - the Million Bridge. The currently built aqueduct is a pedestrian area - it has been completely restored and topped with a roof. The building is located in the VDNH area.

Roman aqueducts
Nothing speaks better about the nature of the structure of ancient Roman cities than aqueducts. “Aqueducts are the main evidence of the greatness of the Roman Empire,” said Senator Julius Frontinus, who was in charge at the beginning of the 2nd century. Rome's water supply. Pure water from a mountain spring, as you know, has always been considered the best drinking water. The wide distribution of baths in Roman cities - thermae, public and private, also required a lot of water.
The need to supply a huge, million-strong Rome with water forced the creation of canals, locks, reservoirs for water regulation, and long aqueducts. This tradition soon spread throughout the Roman Empire. Everywhere, whether in Gaul or in Thrace, the Romans tried to create maximum comfort conditions. Each Roman city was necessarily provided with water in the right amount, not only for drinking, but also for the terms (baths), both public and private. Water was taken from wells, but for the most part was delivered from mountain springs by aqueducts. Where ravines, gorges or hillsides met on the road, stone arched aqueducts were built. These purely utilitarian buildings of the Romans of this time testify to the high level of their craftsmanship and the achievements of engineering.

The first aqueduct appeared in Rome in the 4th century. BC, and by the III century. AD, when the population of the city exceeded one million people, Rome was already supplied with water by 11 huge aqueducts. Julius Frontinus proudly declares that "one cannot compare their stone masses with the useless pyramids of Egypt or with the most famous, but idle buildings of the Greeks."
In the 1st century AD in Rome, a grandiose and beautiful in its grandeur aqueduct of Emperor Claudius was erected. “There was nothing more amazing on the entire globe,” wrote the prominent Roman scientist Pliny the Elder about him. The old Marcius aqueduct, bypassing the hills and ravines, had a length of 90 km. The Claudius Aqueduct, which reached a height of 27 m, was shorter by 30 km thanks to many bridges and tunnels. The aqueduct crossed the Labican and Praenestine roads, approaching near Rome and running near the city wall almost nearby. In this place, under the aqueduct, a huge two-span gate was built, called the Porta Maggiore. Built from rough travertine blocks, they give the impression of special power.

Remarkable engineering and at the same time architectural monument 2nd century AD is the famous aqueduct across the Garde River in the south of France, which bears the modern name of the Pont du Gard - Garde Bridge.
The Garda aqueduct was built to supply water to the city of Nimes (Nemaus) - one of the centers of the rich and prosperous Roman province of Gaul. This majestic and harmonious structure is the only surviving part of the Nimes aqueduct stretching for 50 km. In Nimes, water ran from a hill through water pipes up to 30 km long. An obstacle to laying water pipes was the river Gard. Through it, 22 kilometers from Nimes, a bridge was built in the form of a three-tiered arcade 49 meters high.

This remarkable engineering structure was created at the end of the 1st century. BC. The idea of ​​its construction is associated with the name of the Roman commander Marcus Agrippa, the son-in-law and closest assistant of Emperor Octavian Augustus.
The length of the bridge is 275 m. It consists of three arched tiers. The first tier consists of six arches, the spans of which are from 16 to 24 m wide. The central arch connecting the banks of the river has a span of 24.4 m. Above the first tier there is a second one with 11 arches of the same size. The third, upper tier, carrying a water pipe, consists of 35 much smaller (4.6 m) arches.

The Gard bridge is an ideal example of hewn stone masonry. Of particular difficulty for the builders was the laying of arches. A feature of the construction is that the carefully fitted stone blocks, like many of the best Roman buildings, were laid without lime mortar. The name "Veraniy" is inscribed on the 8th arch of the second tier. Perhaps that was the name of the architect, the builder of the bridge.

Built of golden stone, the Pont du Gard is a wonderful creation of human thought, combining engineering calculation and the requirements of aesthetic taste. “The sight of this simple and noble building,” wrote Jean-Jacques Rousseau, “struck me all the more because it is located in the middle of the desert, where silence and loneliness make the monument even more amazing, and admiration for it more powerful.” Until now, the Gard bridge is used as a crossing over the river. The beauty, the rhythm of its arcades, their successful placement in tiers are further emphasized by the harmony with the surrounding landscape.

In Spain, in the city of Segovia, an aqueduct has been preserved, reaching a height of 30 m. This is one of the most grandiose structures of the Roman era. Built from dry-laid blocks of granite, it makes an irresistible impression. The exact date of construction of the aqueduct is unknown, most likely it is the end of the 1st - the first half of the 2nd century BC. AD, the reign of the emperors Vespasian and Trajan. The aqueduct in Segovia receives water from the Riofrio River, and its length is 17 km. A huge span, 728 meters long, resting on 119 arches, is thrown over the outskirts of the old city. Another span, 276 meters long and 28.9 meters high, supported by two rows of arcades, crosses the city center. Initially, water from the aqueduct entered a large cistern, called Caseron, and from there it was distributed through the city's water supply systems.

In the XI century, the aqueduct was partially destroyed by the Moors, but in the XV century. restored. Until now, this building of the Roman era supplies water to the quarters of Segovia.
IN North Africa the aqueduct 23 km long, leading to the city of Caesarea, had three-tier arched bridges in some sections. In the Numidian city of Maktar, water ran for 9 km, and in Carthage - for 80 km. The abundant supply of water to cities made it possible to build extensive public baths with large pools not only for bathing, but also for swimming, and to arrange magnificent fountains decorated with statues on the squares.