Segovia is in the Community of Castile and León and is half way between Madrid and Valladolid and is one of the highest cities in Spain. It is famous for it’s Roman Aqueduct, it’s Cathedral, which is the last one to be built in Gothic style in Europe and it’s medieval Castle – the Alcázar – which was used as one of the templates for Walt Disney’s Cinderella’s Castle. The city centre was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985.

The Aqueduct

The aqueduct is Roman and was build around the first century AD to channel water from the springs in the mountains 20 kilometres away to the city’s fountains, public baths and private houses. The amazing thing is that this Aqueduct was in use until 1973.

This structure is 15 kilometers long from the mountain to the other side of the city. It is made of granite blocks that are as high as 800 meters. The downtown part of the aqueduct you see below consists of 120 pillars and 166 arches. And another amazing thing is that the pillars are built without cement or mortar to hold them together for safety. The stones were masterfully cut to carry the load in perfect balance!

As many old structures do, the aqueduct of Segovia has a series of legends attached to it. The veracity and origin of these is hard to know for sure. However, they make for interesting anecdotes and certainly sparked our imaginations.

One of the oldest legends about the aqueduct is related to its construction. Rumor has it that perhaps Hercules, or one of his children, actually built the impressive structure. Such a feature of engineering could only be the work of the gods, right?

Another popular legend in the city is a story involving a girl, the devil, and a virgin. It seems that before the aqueduct was built, a little girl had to walk to the top of the mountain every day to fetch water. One day, tired of doing this, she asked for help and the devil started building the structure. Concerned for the soul of the child, a virgin stepped in to protect her. 

This is the reason why there is a statue of the Virgin del Carmen in one of the niches of the aqueduct. And the aqueduct is often called “Puente de Diable” or Devil’s Bridge by some of the locals. There you are now 😝

The Cathedral

Segovia Cathedral built between 1525 and 1577 during the reign of Charles V and was the last cathedral of the late Gothic style in Spain. The cathedral was constructed after the city’s former cathedral was destroyed during the battles between the Castilian royal armies and Communeros, who took the cathedral to protect its holy relics and its defensive position on the walls of the Alcazar. After a seige lasting months, the cathedral was ruined.

The new cathedral was relocated and designed by Juan Gil de Hontanon, featuring three tall vaults, with fine tracery windows and stained glass. The interior was late Gothic style, yet the dome was later added in 1630. The stone spire was also an addition from 1614 following a fire during a thunderstorm that destroyed the original Gothic spire built of American mahogany, a symbol of the Iberian presence in the Americas, once the tallest tower in Spain.

The Alcazar

This is one of Spain’s most famous castles – Palace of the Kings of Castile – it is a unique castle with the appearance of a fairytale palace which brings together the architectural tastes of different monarchs and tells their different stories to all who come to visit it. It is as austere as the Castilian kings were, elevated on the rock at the confluence of the Eresma and the Clamores valleys and it appears to guard the city. It’s beautiful “Tower of Homage”, often compared to the prow of a ship sailing between rivers, is impressively beautiful. It is amazing to see that this Castile is a living part of this Castilian city and is well worth a visit.

Next stop is Bilbao for the boat and home……