Operating dams in Spain: legacy of the Roman Empire, which is more than 1800 years old

The ancient Romans were magnificent architects and builders, their creations are admirable. They built not only temples, palaces and amphitheaters, but also complex hydraulic structures, such as dams. The quality of these river dams was so high that they survived the Roman Empire for many centuries and have successfully performed their functions to this day. Today we will talk about ancient dams in Spain, which are more than 1800 years old.

During the heyday of the Roman Empire, the territory of the Iberian Peninsula was fully part of a powerful state. The Romans made Spain the most important part of the empire, roads and cities, bridges and dams were built here, fields were cultivated and gold mining flourished. In the I-II centuries of our era, many dams were built here, which served to accumulate water and were important for the development of agriculture. Some of them survived the collapse of the Roman Empire, the invasion of the Visigoths, the conquest of the Moors, the Reconquista, many other military companies and periods of unrest, and all this time regularly served its main purpose - the accumulation of water.

Kornalvo Dam

The Cornalvo Dam is located on the Guadiana River in the city of Merida in southwestern Spain (Badajoz Province). During the Roman Empire, the center of the rich province of Lusitania, the city of Emerita Augusta, was located on the site of Merida. The Kornalvo Dam itself was erected in the I-II century AD. The dam is an earthen embankment lined with stone 194 meters long and 28 meters high. One of the oldest active dams in the world, Cornalvo, along with other objects of the Roman period, is included in the Archaeological Ensemble of the city of Merida.

Merida City, Roman Theater

The Proserpine Dam is also located in the city of Merida, has an equally respectable age and is among its architectural and historical monuments. The Proserpine Dam also refers to the gravitational type of dams, that is, it was built according to the simplest technology, by pouring soil and strengthening it with stone lining. The dam has a length of 428 meters, but its height is lower than that of the Kornalvo dam, and is 12 meters.