Aqueduct scheme of work. Plumbing in ancient rome - the gold reserve of the empire

Water in ancient Rome was an inseparable part of the life of the townspeople. Fountains serving as an adornment of the city, baths in which the Romans kept the body clean and gave rest to the soul, Navmachia (sea battles), where scenes of ship battles were played out - all this prescribed to provide the city with an enormous volume of water. Roman emperors, making significant efforts to meet the needs of their citizens in order to win their support and beautify The eternal City, did not spare resources for the construction of water supply systems. This is how aqueducts of Rome.

The aqueducts of ancient Rome are recognized as the impeccable plumbing system of that era, a miracle of engineering. With the help of it, water was supplied to fountains, baths, private houses of wealthy citizens. The Romans used water for drinking, making food, maintaining cleanliness, and public latrines were flushed all the time.

The principle of operation of the aqueducts of Rome

Essentially, the aqueducts of Rome are a system of irrigation canals stretching across different landscapes. Water from the spring went into the aqueduct, from it - into a special sump "castella", and was distributed through pipes to the city. If the water supply was not built underground, then it was mounted in arched spans and closed from above so that the water remained clean.

The scheme for constructing the aqueducts of Rome is as follows: at first, the end point of the aqueduct was outlined, then, moving from end to beginning, they drew a map of the area, registering the relief and choosing the best path. Wooden piles marked the line of the future highway and began to prepare the area - they dug trenches, cut down trees, dug tunnels in the mountains, and built bridges. After that, block by block, they pulled the water supply from the source.

The Aqueducts of Rome are more than 350 km of aqueducts. And only a small part of them were located underground. During the construction of the aqueducts of Rome, pozzolanic concrete was used - a mixture of concrete with lime and volcanic ash, a strong durable material that made it possible for many aqueducts to survive to this day. In order for water to continuously flow into the city, the correct slope of the couloir was needed. If the builders came across a mountain on the way, they had to dig tunnels - the aqueduct of Rome, bypassing the mountain, would not have the necessary slope.

Famous aqueducts of Rome

For 538 years, 11 water supply systems were built in Rome, which became a model for other countries:

Aqueduct Aqua Appia

The Aqueduct of Rome, Aqua Appius, was built in 312 BC with the support of the city rulers Appius Claudius and Gaius Plautius. Appius drew up a plan for the future water supply, and Guy led research work: in the Sabinsky mountains, 15 kilometers from the capital, I discovered a source of clean water, studied its volume, conducted a survey of the population on the topic of quality. But all the honors went to Appius Claudius.

Aqua Appia was almost entirely underground, its length was 16 kilometers. The open part of the structure in length - 90 m, which was an arched system, started from the Kapensky Gate. The water flowed to the Bull Market, where it was collected in reservoirs and distributed throughout the city.

The name of this aqueduct of Rome comes from the river Anio, the name "old" aqueduct acquired after the construction of a new aqueduct - Anio Novus in 38 year. The construction of this aqueduct, which became the second in Rome after Aqua Appius, began in 272 and finished in 269 BC. Construction began under the censors of Mania Curia Dentate and Lucius Papirius Pretexta and financed with funds received after the victory over Pyrrhus, completed under Mark Fulvius Flacca.

In this aqueduct of Rome, water came from the Anio River, a tributary of the Tiber. The length of the aqueduct was 64 km; it was almost entirely underground. The aqueduct was repaired several times. For the first time - under Quintus Marcia Rex in the second century BC, the second time - under Mark Vipsania Agrippa in 33 BC, and the third time under Emperor Octavian Augustus from 11 to 4 BC. After the construction of Anio Novus, water from the old aqueduct began to be used mainly for watering gardens.

Aqueducts of Rome: Aqua Marcia

Aqueduct of Rome Aqua Marcia 91 kilometers long was built in 144 BC, it was filled from a number of sources near the Aniene River. For the cultivation of wine, the Romans recognized the water just from this aqueduct. Several centuries later, the emperor Diocletian led another branch of the aqueduct to his baths, and Caracalla to his own.

Aqueduct Aqua Tepula

Aqueduct of Rome Aqua Tepula 18 kilometers long was built in 125 BC. The water in it was at least plus 17 °, which is where the name came from, since tepula means "warm". In 33 BC, the commander Marcus Agrippa combined the aqueduct with another, Aqua Iulia. The waters of the aqueducts of Marcia, Claudia and Anio Novus mixed at the site of Porta Maggiore, from where the water from the Aqua Tepula flowed along the same route as from the aqueduct of Marcia.

The construction of the aqueduct began under Mark Vipsania Agrippa in 33 BC, a few years later, between the eleventh and fourth years BC, under Emperor Augustus, the aqueduct was restored.

The length of this aqueduct of Rome is 23 km, it was combined with the aqueduct Aqua Tepula, built in 125 BC. The source was in the Albanian mountains. Water from Aqua Julia also provided the monumental fountain of Alexander Sever.

Aqueducts of Rome: Agrippa Aqueduct

Agrippa was the creator of the sixth still functioning Aqua Virgo aqueduct. An underground 20 km long aqueduct was built in the nineteenth year BC. The name Virgo, meaning "virgin", has a connection with the myth that a young girl showed Agrippa the place where there was a source of crystal clear water. Currently, the aqueduct of Rome Aqua Virgo provides water to the fountains of the Barcaccia, and the fountain of the Four Rivers.

Aqueduct Aqua Alsietina

The aqueduct of Rome Aqua Alsietina, which dates back to 2 BC, was supplied by the waters of the modern lakes Bracciano and Martignano. The not absolutely pure water of Alsietina was used to fill the Navmachias of Emperor Augustus - artificial reservoirs for staging ship battles. The same aqueduct stretched through 358 arches irrigated the gardens of Julius Caesar.

The construction of the aqueduct of Rome Aqua Claudia began during the reign of Caligula, completed in 52 AD under Claudius. The source was the Aniene River, in parallel, the Marcha aqueduct was drawn, with which they were combined in the Aqueduct Park. The monumental arch of the aqueduct turned out to be part of the Prenestine Gate. A branch of the Claudius aqueduct under the name Celimontano provided water to the Golden House of Nero.

Anio novus

This 87 km long aqueduct of Rome took its name from the Aniene River, a tributary of the Tiber. Anio Novus, replacing Anio Vetus, was built at the same time as the Claudius aqueduct and shares the same sources with it. The construction of the aqueducts Claudia and Anio Novus began under Caligula in 38 and completed in 52 under the Emperor Claudius. Because the water from the river was muddy, it was initially sent to the purification basins - piscina limaria. Approximately 14 km of this aqueduct were laid above the ground, with 3-storey arches reaching up to 32 meters.

Aqua Traiana was built in 109 by order of Emperor Troyan. The aqueduct was supplied with water from springs near Lake Bracciano and directed it to the Trastevere region. During the wars, the aqueduct was repeatedly destroyed, but then restored.

After the restoration by Pope Paul V, the aqueduct was renamed Aqua Paola.

The aqueducts of Rome are very ancient. Aqua Alexandrina was built in 226 to supply water to the Emperor Alexander's thermal baths. A new aqueduct was needed to provide the thermal baths of Alexander Sever on the Champ de Mars (between the Pantheon and Piazza Navona). The length of the aqueduct was 22.5 kilometers. Part of the aqueduct survived in the Roman district of Pignattara.

Plumbing and the politics of the Caesars

It is no secret that in order to preserve peace, tranquility and satisfaction of citizens in ancient Rome, there was a universal idea of ​​“Panem et circences” - Bread and circuses. So any ruler tried to get the popularity and support of the people. One can easily add to this one more significant component in the internal politics of those with the power of Ancient Rome - the provision of the city with drinking water in myriad volumes.

For a long time, water has been recognized as one of the main components for maintaining human life, and it is not by chance that all big cities in antiquity they were built just on the banks of the rivers. In addition to the water of the Tiber, the ancient Romans used many sources, the names of which have come down to this time from ancient literary documents or were discovered with the help archaeological site... Many of them are heard, for example, Fons Lupercales - a source near the grotto where the she-wolf fed the twins Romulus and Remus with her milk, or Fons Juturnae - a source at the Roman Forum, where two brave brothers Castor and Pollux gave their horses a drink after the battle with the Etruscans, and many other sources. But this was not enough, because Rome was a special city and the aqueducts of Rome were a necessity.

Roman baths - hygiene, culture and lifestyle

Acting as a sovereign city, Rome was a symbol of pomp and wealth. In the era of its heyday, about a million people lived in the city, and any of them accounted for up to a thousand liters of water per day! For amusement, ship battles were carried out in the structures of the Naumahiyas, which were deliberately erected for this. The most famous of them is Naumachia Augusta, built on Trastevere.

The ancient Romans, taking as a basis the culture and achievements of the Etruscan and ancient Greek civilizations, used with great pleasure baths and natural sources of water. But this seemingly simple hygienic procedure has received a new look. The ancient Roman Baths were transformed into places of entertainment and leisure time. Libraries, gyms, baths, steam rooms and various pools, massage rooms were arranged in the thermal baths. In addition, the thermae housed trade shops, luxurious pavilions for drinking and eating, and also corners for religious cults.

Aqueducts of Rome on an interactive map

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Roman Aqueducts
Nothing better says about the nature of the structure of ancient Roman cities, like aqueducts. "Aqueducts are the main evidence of the greatness of the Roman Empire," said Senator Julius Frontin, who was in charge at the beginning of the 2nd century. water supply of Rome. Pure water from a mountain spring, as you know, at all times was considered the best drinking water. The widespread use of baths in Roman cities - baths, public and private, also required a lot of water.
The need to supply a huge, with a million population, Rome with water forced to create canals, sluices, reservoirs for regulating water, long aqueducts. This tradition soon spread throughout the Roman Empire. Everywhere, whether in Gaul or in Thrace, the Romans tried to create the maximum conditions for comfort. Every Roman city was necessarily provided with water in the right amount, not only for drinking, but also for thermal baths, both public and private. Water was taken from wells, but for the most part it was delivered from mountain sources by aqueducts. Where there were ravines, gorges or hillsides on the road, stone arched aqueducts were built. These purely utilitarian buildings of the Romans of this time testify to high level their skill and engineering excellence.

The first aqueduct appeared in Rome in the 4th century. BC, and by the III century. AD, when the city's population exceeded a 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 constructions of the Greeks."
In the 1st century. AD in Rome, a grandiose and beautiful in its grandeur aqueduct of the Emperor Claudius was erected. “There was nothing more surprising at all the globe"- wrote about him a prominent Roman scientist Pliny the Elder. The old aqueduct of Marcius, bypassing hills and ravines, was 90 km long. The Claudius Aqueduct, which reached a height of 27 m, was 30 km shorter thanks to many bridges and tunnels. The aqueduct crossed the Labican and Prenestine roads, which were approaching near Rome and going almost next to the city wall. At this point, under the aqueduct, a huge two-span gate was built, called Porta Maggiore. Made up of coarse travertine blocks, they give the impression of being particularly powerful.

Excellent engineering and at the same time architectural monument II century AD is the famous aqueduct across the Garde River in the south of France, bearing modern name Pont du Gard - Garde Bridge.
The Garda Aqueduct was built to supply water to the city of Nîmes (Nemaus), one of the centers of the wealthy and prosperous Roman province of Gaul. This majestic and harmonious structure is the only surviving part of the 50 km long Nîmes aqueduct. In Nîmes, water ran from a hill through water pipes up to 30 km long. An obstacle to the laying of water pipes was the Gard River. Through it, 22 kilometers from Nîmes, a bridge was built in the form of a three-tiered arcade 49 m 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 to the 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 16 to 24 m wide. The central arch connecting the river banks 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 the water pipe, consists of 35 significantly smaller (4.6 m) arches.

The Garda Bridge is an ideal example of cut stone masonry. The masonry of the arches was especially difficult for the builders. A special feature of the structure is that the carefully fitted stone blocks, like many of the best Roman buildings, were laid without mortar. The name "Veranius" is inscribed on the 8th arch of the second tier. Perhaps that was the name of the architect, the builder of the bridge.

The Pont du Gard bridge, built of golden stone, is a wonderful creation of human thought, combining engineering calculation and the requirements of aesthetic taste. "The sight of this simple and noble structure," wrote Jean-Jacques Rousseau, "amazed 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 stronger." Until now, the Gardi Bridge is used as a crossing over the river. The beauty, rhythm of its arcades, their successful placement in tiers are even more emphasized by the harmony with the surrounding landscape.

In Spain, in the city of Segovia, there is an aqueduct that reaches a height of 30 m. This is one of the most grandiose structures of the Roman era. Composed of dry-laid granite blocks, it makes an irresistible impression. The exact date of the construction of the aqueduct is unknown, most likely, it is the end of the 1st - the first half of the 2nd century. AD, during the reign of the emperors Vespasian and Trajan. The aqueduct to Segovia is supplied with water from the Riofrio River, and its length is 17 km. A huge, 728-meter long span, supported by 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 water supply systems.

In the 11th century, the aqueduct was partially destroyed by the Moors, but in the 15th century. restored. Until now, this building from the Roman era supplies water to the quarters of Segovia.
V North Africa the aqueduct with a length of 23 km, leading to the city of Caesarea, had three-tier arcature bridges in some areas. In the Numidian city of Mactar, the water ran for 9 km, and in Carthage - for 80 km. The abundant supply of water to cities allowed the construction of vast public baths with large pools not only for bathing, but also for swimming, and magnificent fountains decorated with statues were arranged in the squares.

Definition 1

An aqueduct is a water conduit that is designed to supply water to settlements, as well as to hydropower and irrigation systems from those sources that are located above.

In a narrower sense, an aqueduct is a part of an aqueduct in the form of a bridge, which is located above a river, road or ravine.

If the aqueduct is wide enough, then ships can pass under it as under an ordinary bridge. It is similar in design to a viaduct. However, the main difference is that it is used to transport water instead of organizing a road.

Ancient Roman aqueducts: history of origin

Ancient Roman aqueducts were designed to supply water to the population. Irrigation and hydropower systems also received recharge from them.

Ancient Roman aqueducts were made of brick, stone, reinforced concrete and steel. At the base of the aqueducts, the architects of Ancient Rome used pillars of stone, brick or cast iron, as well as a bank abutment, on which cuvettes or pipes were placed. In order for the structure to be as stable as possible, the supports were connected by stone arches.

Despite the fact that the ancient Romans were proud of such engineering structures, aqueducts were first invented in Ancient egypt... Aqueducts were then built using limestone, and the size of the structures was much more modest. The aqueduct that supplied the city of Nineveh with water was 80 km long. Its width was 300 meters and its height was 10 meters.

Figure 3. Limestone aqueducts. Author24 - online exchange of student papers

Already in the 7th century BC, water conduits appeared for the first time, which were made in the Roman style. About 11 aqueducts with a total length of more than 350 km were intended to supply life-giving moisture to Rome.

Remark 1

The longest aqueduct is considered, which is located in Carthage (modern Tunisia), its length reaches 141 km.

However, the main part of the aqueducts was then located underground. An example is the Eifel aqueduct located in Germany. This structure can still be seen in Cologne, to which water was delivered through an underground water conduit.

Ancient Roman aqueducts were built with modern and waterproof materials such as pozzolanic concrete. Despite the exact parameters that were incorporated into their design, the water conduits were too complicated.

For example, the heel of the Pont du Gard aqueduct is 34 centimeters per 1 km, and its descent reaches 17 meters along the slope. Its length reaches 50 km. Thanks to this design, the ancient Roman aqueducts remained modern a thousand years later, when the Roman Empire had already fallen.

The reason for this durability was a simple principle: the water was delivered by gravity, which was extremely effective. Many of the rules and techniques of ancient Roman builders and architects are still used today. Unfortunately, most of the practical knowledge disappeared forever during the Dark Wars. The construction of aqueducts was revived only in the 19th century.

History has preserved traces of the creativity of ancient Roman architects. Even today, travelers may be amazed at how gem-quality the outlines of some aqueducts can be. These structures are scattered all over the world, today they can be found in many countries:

• a park of aqueducts located in Italy;
• the aqueduct of Caesarea, which is in Israel;
• the Hampi waterways (located in India) and the Nazca aqueduct in Peru;
• aqueduct Les Ferreres, which is located in Spain;
• Valenta aqueduct (located in Turkey);
• water conduit Segovia in Spain.

Figure 5. The architecture of the ancient Roman aqueduct. Author24 - online exchange of student papers

Roman aqueducts - architectural masterpieces

Roman aqueducts are true masterpieces of hydraulic engineering, they have no analogies in the ancient world. Since water is a vital resource, the demand for it has increased in the Mediterranean, especially during hot summers. The growth of cities led to an increased demand for water, already from the 5th century BC, some large cities were supplied with water using aqueducts. The first Roman aqueduct was built in 312 BC.

If you believe the calculations, then ancient Rome had high rates of water supply per person. Aqueducts were then built not only to provide water supply to the population, but also for other purposes. Part of the water was used for irrigation of country gardens and production needs. However, most of the water was still used for the needs of society: baths, circuses, city fountains.

Each element of the aqueduct, viewed in isolation, is impressive. However, if we take into account all the scales of the organization, as well as the practical embodiment of architects and the ability of Roman engineers to solve the most complex problems of water supply, then we can agree with the opinion of the ancient authors Frontinus or Pliny the Elder that the ancient Roman aqueducts are one of the greatest wonders of the ancient world.

How are the aqueducts of ancient Rome arranged?

Almost all ancient Roman aqueducts were the simplest gravity structures. The source was located slightly higher than the city that served it, and the water supply had a constant downward slope so that the water flowed downward under the influence of gravity.

For the city, water was supplied through a rectangular gutter, which is lined from the inside with a waterproof putty made of crushed terracotta and lime. The gutter was closed from above to keep the water clean, but it was not completely clogged like modern water pipes. The angle of inclination was small so that the water would not wash out the bottom of the gutter. But at the same time, he had to ensure the movement of the water flow.

If possible, the aqueduct trough was located in the ground, but in some places it rose on a solid stone foundation to create an even angle of inclination at the intersection of depressions and small depressions. Short vertical sections have been introduced periodically to compensate for the steep slopes.

When approaching the city, the aqueduct walked along the arches, since many cities Of the ancient world were built on hills, and the canal with water had to be pulled up to such a height that water could easily get into the city. As a result, impressive pieces of ancient Roman architecture such as aqueducts have emerged.

Aqueduct architecture: the world's most famous structures

Aqueducts are an important achievement of the engineers of Ancient Rome. Thanks to the construction of these structures, the Romans were able to establish an impeccable water supply system. major cities who needed a lot of water.

In terms of the grandeur of architectural thought, the most famous and impressive were the aqueducts of Ancient Rome. On excursions, tourists can still see some aqueducts, which are perfectly preserved in many European cities.

In the 6th century BC, the inhabitants of the millionth city of Rome felt the need to build an aqueduct to supply the city drinking water and water for technical purposes. For the townspeople, water was supplied in sufficient quantities, since it was necessary for the organization of Roman saunas and thermal baths.

The first bridge, 16 km long, was the Aquia Alia. After that, the Romans built the aqueducts of Claudius and Marcius, which supplied the city with water without interruption.

Garda aqueduct... It is the Garda aqueduct that has been best preserved to our time, which had a height of 275 meters. It is located in the French province near the city of Nimes. The architects left an inscription on the wall of the waterway, which indicates the exact time of construction and the original height of the bridge. Aqueduct The Garda aqueduct was even higher than the Colosseum. The bridge with numerous arches was built using stone blocks, some of which weighed up to 6 tons. Despite the lack of decorative elements, the aqueduct is very simple and easy to use. The architects of the bridge could accurately calculate all the load-bearing details and arrange the arches strictly symmetrically. The three-tiered aqueduct has several arched rows that are located one above the other. It was this ancient Roman aqueduct that was most often used as a highway. But due to wear and tear, it was closed for movement on the bridge. Vehicle... The highlight of this aqueduct is its construction method: a huge number of stone blocks are held only by a jewelry fit of the stone. During the construction process, cement and other bonding materials were used. All stone blocks adhere flawlessly to each other. On the second tier there is a block on which the name "Veranius" is carved - perhaps this is the name of the architect who developed the project of the Garda aqueduct.

Carthaginian aqueduct... No less famous aqueduct of Ancient Rome is the Carthaginian aqueduct. Today only ruins remain from it. When it was needed to supply water from the reservoirs of the Tunisian Atlas. Its length was 132 kilometers. Streams of water flowed down in a natural way along the sloping relief. The water conduit itself was designed by the inhabitants of Carthage, and the Romans have already completed the construction. The aqueduct has been reconstructed and restored several times.

Figure 9. Carthage aqueduct. Author24 - online exchange of student papers

Aqueduct in Segovia... An ancient Roman medieval bridge with a height of 30 meters is located in the province of Spain Segovia. Its duration is 17 kilometers. To date, only one flight of it has survived, which can be seen in the city center. The stream of water that passed through the aqueduct was directed into huge cisterns, and after that the water went through the intra-city canals. In the XI century, the water conduit was destroyed by the Moors, but soon it was restored.

Valens Aqueduct... The Romans even in the northern lands of Africa built the aqueducts of Ancient Rome. In the vicinity of Istanbul, you can now see the ruins that were once the famous and powerful Valens aqueduct. It has undergone reconstruction many times. The aqueduct was distinguished by a pronounced Roman style, it was decorated with arches. From one of the many arches begins the famous a tourist route- Ataturk Boulevard.

Underground reservoir room with 336 columns - Basilica Cistern. This building is located not far from the Temple of Sophia. The water storage was built for almost a quarter of a century. The Basilica Cistern has been in use for thousands of years. It is now a museum man-made miracles which attracts tourists from all over the world.

Aqueduct of the Temple of Artemis... This is an aqueduct located in Ephesus. Then, not only baths, schools and theaters were built in the city, but also aqueducts to ensure water supply. The plumbing was made of ceramic material. It took place both underground and on the surface of the earth. The water main consisted of pipe sections, which were attached to each other with a grid connector.

The term "aqueduct" came to us from the Latin language (aguae ductus) and in translation means "leading the water" (agua - water, duco - lead). What is an aqueduct in the modern Russian sense? This is a structure for the passage of water flows at a considerable height through rugged terrain, including obstacles of natural and man-made origin.

The aqueduct is used to provide water to settlements, industrial production or agricultural land from a remote water source located on a hill. The principle of operation of the aqueduct is the free supply of water through a gutter, ditch, pipe at a slight slope. Thus, physical laws are used that allow, without additional efforts, to move huge flows of water along artificially created canals.

From the history of the emergence of aqueducts

The history of aqueducts originates from the ancient Babylonians and Egyptians, who learned how to build water conduits to supply their homes with water, observing the natural flow of rivers - from a hill to a lower area.

Back in the 7th century BC. A limestone aqueduct was erected by the Assyrians to provide water to their capital, Nineveh. The spring was separated from the capital by a wide valley. The length of the water conduit was 80 kilometers, and its three hundred meter section above the valley reached ten meters height.

History has preserved information about the aqueducts that were built by the Mayan tribes and the ancient Greeks. The ancient Greek traveler, geographer and historian Herodotus praised the aqueduct on the island of Samos as one of the wonders of the world.

Aqueducts built by the ancient Romans differed significantly from the first structures in terms of their technology, already in those days such waterproof materials as pozzolanic concrete were used for their construction.

The best architects participated in the construction of the aqueducts, making complex, accurate calculations. For example, the aqueduct in Provence Pont du Gard had a difference in height between the source and destination of only 17 meters. Moreover, its total length was 50 kilometers, and for each kilometer the slope was only 34 centimeters. Such precision and the best construction technologies ensured the Roman aqueducts for centuries of successful use - even a thousand years after the collapse of the Roman Empire, aqueducts have not lost their technological significance.

In some cases, during the construction of aqueducts, the surface difference was over 50 meters. In order to ensure the free passage of the water flow, the builders created an additional pressure water conduit (siphon). These technologies are still used today, when the laying of water pipelines has to cross places with significant recesses.

Modern use of aqueducts

In the modern sense, the definition of what an aqueduct is, is to describe a structure designed to move large flows of water overhead. Considering the high cost of construction and maintenance of aqueducts in comparison with underground water pipelines, today their construction is justified only in densely populated mountainous countries, mainly where the laying of an underground water pipe is associated with certain difficulties.

However, a number of countries operate aqueducts designed to pass vessels over a river bed or over a valley. These bridge structures make it possible to connect canal systems through which small vessels can pass. Their construction began in the 17th century, and some of them are successfully operating today.

The most famous modern water bridges for shipping are:

Magdeburg navigable aqueduct (Germany, 2003) with a length of 918 meters, laid above the earth's surface across the Elbe River and connecting the Elbe-Havel and Mitteland canals.

Pontkisillte Aqueduct, Wrexhem (Great Britain, 1795-1805). A water bridge was built in the Dee Valley to connect the Denbigshire coal mines with the national shipping canals via the Ellesmere Canal.

Swivel Water Bridge, Barton (UK). It was built on the Irwell River and is intended to carry the Bridgouter Canal through Manchester Ship. The turning aqueduct was built in 1894 and has no analogues in the whole world.

On the territory of countries around the world, sometimes amazing structures are found, the construction idea of ​​which is sometimes difficult to understand by their outward appearance... Such is, for example, an aqueduct. This massive structure resembles a bridge with high arches below. However, this is not the case.

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

An aqueduct is a structure above a road or other obstruction 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 high reservoir, liquid flowed at a natural angle to the required place.

It should be noted that the irrigation aqueducts of Ancient Rome, and not only Rome, were open. While their plumbing cousins ​​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 earliest are Roman aqueducts. The rapid growth of the city's population forced the architects of the time to bow their heads over the drawings and develop a design for a structure that could help provide water for the needs of the people. All kinds of containers, canals and locks, connected to each other, turned into the world's first water supply system. Water in these containers came from mountain sources located near the city. At the same time, when a road or a ravine met on the path of a rapid flow, a special arched structure was built - an aqueduct. it architectural solution became widespread not only in the empire, but throughout the world.

The largest structure of this type in Rome was the Claudius aqueduct. It is easy to guess that it was built in honor of the emperor with the same name. The construction of the structure took place in the 1st century AD. The rough stones and massive blocks from which the aqueduct was built gave it power and strength. Thanks to this, many scientists considered the building to be one of the most amazing structures on earth. There was a water supply link 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 of 27 meters made it possible to create a huge gate, called Porta Maggiore.

Within the territory of modern Russia there is also an aqueduct. This building is located in Moscow. The popular name for this miracle of architecture is the Milliony Bridge. Original - Rostokinsky aqueduct... It was once the longest in Russia (356 meters) and took 25 years to build. A colossal amount for those times was spent on this process - more than 1 million rubles, hence the name - Millionniy Bridge. The aqueduct, which was built at the present time, is a pedestrian zone - it has been completely renovated and crowned with a roof. The building is located in the VDNKh area.