Caños de Carmona facts for kids

The Caños de Carmona (which means 'Pipes of Carmona') was an ancient Roman aqueduct. It was built around the first century BC to bring fresh water from a spring in a Roman town called Irippo (now Alcalá de Guadaíra) to Hispalis (which is now Seville). Both towns were in the Roman province of Hispania Ulterior (modern Spain).

Later, in the twelfth century, the Almohads repaired and partly rebuilt the aqueduct. It worked well for many centuries until it was taken down in 1912. However, some parts of it were saved and can still be seen today.

The aqueduct was originally about 17.5 kilometers (10.9 miles) long. It was mostly built from bricks. It had parts that ran underground and parts that were raised up on arches. There were about 400 arches in total, standing on pillars. Some sections even had extra arches on top. Experts believe it's the only Roman aqueduct of its kind in Spain.

History of the Aqueduct

The Caños de Carmona aqueduct was built between 68 and 65 BC. This was around the same time the Walls of Seville were constructed, when Julius Caesar was a local official.

Repairs and Changes

The aqueduct was repaired and partly rebuilt by the Almohad ruler Abu Yaqub Yusuf between 1171 and 1172. During this time, he also built other important structures in Seville, like the Giralda tower, the Puente de Barcas (a bridge over the Guadalquivir river), and the Buhaira palace and gardens. The aqueduct also supplied water to these new places. More repairs were made in the thirteenth century.

By the end of the fourteenth century, the aqueduct was renovated again and made even longer. Its exact starting point is not fully known, but it was supplied by the Santa Lucía spring in Alcalá de Guadaíra. In this area, the aqueduct ran underground through tunnels made of rock or bricks. About 20 shafts were dug into this underground section. These shafts allowed workers to get in for maintenance and helped with air flow.

Water for the City

The aqueduct carried water all the way to the Puerta de Carmona gate. This gate was later taken down in 1868. At the gate, the water flowed into a large tank. From there, it was sent to different parts of the city. Most of the water went to important families, religious buildings, the Casa de Pilatos, royal gardens, and some public fountains and baths. The aqueduct got its name from this gate.

The aqueduct worked well until it was demolished. It provided about 5,000 cubic meters (1.3 million gallons) of clean drinking water every day. At the time it was removed, it was Seville's best source of water. Its underground tunnels helped filter the water. Besides providing drinking water, the aqueduct also powered several flour mills.

Why the Aqueduct Was Demolished

By the 1800s, people living near the aqueduct in the Puerta de Carmona and La Calzada areas started complaining to the city. They said the arches of the aqueduct were causing problems. The city government decided to ask the central government's Monuments Commission for advice. Madrid agreed to the plan to remove it, saying the aqueduct was "a common structure, without artistic features, and not important for history."

A local historian named José Gestoso tried to stop the demolition, but he was unsuccessful. The demolition began on January 26, 1912. The work took several months. The last remaining sections were finally torn down in 1959 to make way for new neighborhoods.

How Parts Were Saved

Carlos Serra y Pickman, the Marquis of San José de Serra, was part of the Commission of Artistic Monuments. He stepped in to save parts of the aqueduct. Because of his efforts, three sections of the Caños de Carmona were saved from being completely destroyed.

Today, three sections with arches still stand in Seville:

• One section with five arches is on Calle Cigüeña.
• Another section with ten arches (a double arcade) is on Calle Luis Montoto, near Calle Jiménez Aranda.
• A third section with five arches is at the beginning of Calle Luis Montoto.

The second section survived because the land it was on became private property in 1911. Since it was on private land, the demolition teams did not remove it.

The third section was actually built into the pillars of the Puente de la Calzada railway bridge when it was constructed in 1930. When the bridge was taken apart in 1991, this part of the aqueduct was uncovered. Surprisingly, this section is the best preserved. When it was found, a small alcove was revealed. This alcove used to hold a statue of the Virgin Mary, known as the Virgin of las Madejas. The original statue was moved to a church in 1869 after being damaged. A new tile reproduction, made by Juan Aragón Cuesta in 1993, now sits in its place.

Gallery

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  Section of Caños de Carmona and Puerta de Carmona gate in Seville

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  Section of Caños de Carmona attached to the Puerta de Carmona

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  Caños de Carmona (around 1860)

Images for kids

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  The first surviving section of the Caños de Carmona aqueduct, on Calle Cigüeña.

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  The second surviving section of the Caños de Carmona aqueduct, on Calle Luis Montoto near the junction with Calle Jiménez Aranda.

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  The final section of the Caños de Carmona aqueduct which survived demolition by being incorporated into the pillars of the Puente de la Calzada, in the middle of the road near the start of Calle Luis Montoto.

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  Archive photo showing a section of the Caños de Carmona aqueduct crossing the Tagarete river in Seville.

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  A long span of the Caños de Carmona aqueduct, now demolished, inside Seville.

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  Azulejo of the Virgin of las Madejas which occupies a niche under one of the arches of the aqueduct.

See also

In Spanish: Caños de Carmona para niños

• Italica