Colonel Góngora of the Artillery Academy proudly displayed his binoculars. Thanks to him, it was finally possible to read the traces left by the old and worn sign of the Segovia Aqueduct, showing who, when and why ordered the construction of this impressive structure in a municipium that was not among the most important in the Roman Empire . . But it was because the 19th century soldier didn't know Latin very well or the glass wasn't strong enough; What he scribbled on the paper was not enough for Canon Andrés Gómez de Somorrostro – who had sent the artilleryman to copy what he saw – to decipher a single word. However, later there were other attempts, such as climbing with a hydraulic crane to observe it up close, trying to assemble the puzzle of three Latin epigraphic tablets related to the city, or opening excavations at one of the Ends the line in search of more data.
The historian Domiciana Contreras, on a balcony of her house. Lucia Herranz
These stories are told by Dominica Contreras López de Ayala (Madrid, 83 years old), 10th Marchioness of Lozoya and academician of history and art of San Quirce, in her book “Mystery of the Segovia Aqueduct”. Vicissitudes and dating (Editorial Almuzara, 2023) are some of the numerous investigations that have been carried out for centuries to determine the authorship of the most famous symbol of the Castilian city. But the most striking and incomprehensible thing is that, according to Contreras, the final answer to the historical question lies buried between the Claret School football field in Segovia and the players' urinals. “I have asked many times to dig it up, but the parents don’t want to hear or talk about it,” says the scientist.
Until now, the most widely believed is that the Segovia Aqueduct was built during the reign of Emperor Trajan (years 53-117). But there were theories for every taste. Carlos Fernández Casado, the engineer who restored it decades ago, was convinced that it was the work of Claudio (24-41 years old). Local historian José María Martín, who like Colonel Góngora also picked up binoculars to try to decipher the cartouche, said he was reading “about Emperor Nerva.” Others, however, claimed that it was the work of Hadrian (76-118) or Theodosius (347-393), because they found at the base some coins and archaeological remains from their time.
To complicate matters further, Ambrosio de Morales (1513-1591) – historian and archaeologist sent by Philip II to compile a list of his kingdom's artistic, religious or historical riches – reported one supposedly found in Segovia Epigraph that It was related to the aqueduct. De Morales, who already had experience in causing historical problems in the towns he passed through – he found the body of Saint Eufrasio in Valdemao (Lugo), but identified him as Bishop of Andújar when he came from Mengíbar -, claimed that the inscription said it was built by Lartius Licinius, the governor of Hispania. Licinius ruled the province of Tarragona on behalf of Vespasian, but only reigned between 70 and 69 BC. BC, the year he suffocated in an olive pit.
The Aqueduct of Segovia illuminated with candles.
His early death would therefore reveal when the construction of the aqueduct was ordered, the only year he ruled the province. But there was a problem: Morales was never in Segovia and never saw the inscription described there, but they told him about it. In fact, the historian Francisco de Masdeu (1744-1817) did not consider it authentic “because the text of Morales is not an epigraphic style.” [de la época de Vespasiano] and it may be assumed as a supplement”: He wrote in Latin that what he was told was in the original.
Dominica Contreras has now come to the conclusion that Morales was right and that Emperor Vespasian was the one who ordered the construction of the gigantic stone pipeline or at least gave Licinius the green light for its construction. It is based on the only three known Latin inscriptions relating to the aqueduct. The first was inserted into the missing San Juan door, which was demolished in 1888. Trace of the record has been lost, although a blurry photograph of it remains. In 1804, Father Manuel Cerralbo of the Monastery of San Agustín managed to interpret it by going over the letters with a very soft pencil. It went something like this: “One of the four lines contained therein could not be transcribed, no matter how hard the priest stroked the pencil – that “Lartius Licinius, who ruled Hispania, ordered the construction of this aqueduct.”
The second document is a bronze found on Melitón Martín Street. It shows that in the reign of Tiberius (42-16 BC), the “emperor before Vespasian,” Segovia was already a municipium and therefore had the autonomy to construct its own buildings. At the time of Licinius the situation remained the same.
Sculpture of the devil in front of the aqueduct of Segovia, where the San Juan Gate was located in 1888.PABLO MARTIN (EFE)
And the third inscription appeared directly on the aqueduct and consisted of large gold letters glued to the stone with lead. Over time, some fell off, endangering the lives of those who rode them. In the 16th century it was decided to tear them all out. Only the perforations that held them to the stone remained.
Both Canon Gómez Somorrostro – with the drawings given to him by Colonel Góngora – and all subsequent scholars tried to reconstruct the inscription based on the traces of the detached letters. But they were unsuccessful. By 1992, Hungarian epigraphist Geza Alföldy and archaeologist Peter Witte decided to take the bull by the horns. They climbed 20 meters high with a crane to photograph the drilling. They found that each inscription – there was an identical one on each page – consisted of 131 letters with 26 separating points between them. And so one could read: “Under the command of the Emperor Nerva Trajan, Caesar, Augustus, Germanicus, high priest, in his second tributary power, twice consul, father of the country.” Publio Mummio Mummiano and Publio Fabio Taurus from the Flavian community of Segovienses restored the aqueduct.” Or what is the same thing, Trajan did not build it, he only restored it. That's why it's in front of him.
Based on the aqueduct's architectural style and a comparison with other monuments of the empire, Contreras assumes that it is a contemporary work of the Flavian family (Vespasian, Domitian and Titus, between 69 and 96). Vespasian begins it – this is proven by the inscription on the gate of Saint John, in which Licinius is mentioned -, Domitian continues it – nothing survives of him because he became dictator and was killed – and Trajan repairs it (98-117 ). It is not known when it was completed, but considering that a work of this style required several decades of work, it may have been completed during the reign of Hadrian (117-138).
Memorial column
Contreras also assures that the column that commemorates the beginning of the work is buried at the beginning of the aqueduct, where today there are some sports fields and urinals of the Claret School. “The column was featured in the 1980s when the school garden was created to create some sports fields and it still stands on fairly open and flat land and is very easy to restore,” he says. “That was great. At the end of the day, the workers collected sculpture heads, buttocks, coins and even a bas-relief, which they sold to anyone interested for 30 or 40 euros. Then they went for something to eat. All of Segovia knew it and an antique dealer confirmed it to me. Now everything is in private hands,” he says.
And he concludes: “The memorial column, as well as other elements of this magnificent site, would be very easy to detect using magnetometry, electrical resistivity or georadar.” Due to its location on an exit road from the city, it can hold many surprises. [carretera de La Granja], like relevant graves with names. But the Claretians don't want to know anything about it. I also told the archaeologist in charge of the province. He says it's just a guess. But it’s not.” He shrugs and narrows his enigmatic blue eyes.
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