Acueducto

Segovia's most recognisable symbol is an extraordinary feat of engineering, made even more remarkable by the fact that it was first raised here by the Romans in the 1st century AD and not a drop of mortar was used to hold the whole thing together. The 728m granite block bridge you see today is made up of 163 arches.

The aqueduct was part of a complex system of aqueducts and underground canals which once brought water from the mountains 15km away, reaching as far as where the Alcázar now stands. At its highest point in Plaza del Azoguejo, it is 28m high.

Although no-one really doubts that the Romans built the aqueduct, a local legend asserts that two millennia ago a young girl, tired of carrying water from the well, voiced a willingness to sell her soul to the devil if an easier solution could be found. No sooner said than done. The devil worked through the night, while the girl recanted and prayed to God for forgiveness. Hearing her prayers, God sent the sun into the sky earlier than usual, catching the devil unawares with only a single stone lacking to complete the structure. The girl's soul was saved, but it seems like she got her wish anyway. Perhaps God didn't have the heart to tear down the aqueduct.