Aqueduct Interpretation Centre
The Segovia Aqueduct is one of Spain’s most iconic monuments; it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985 and stands as the city’s greatest symbol.
This great feat of Roman civil engineering, with a total length of 16,186 metres from its weir in the Sierra de Guadarrama to the Alcázar, has supplied water to Segovia for almost 2,000 years and remains the best-preserved Roman aqueduct in the world.
The connection between the Aqueduct and the Royal Mint dates back centuries. At the Royal Mint — first at the mint of Henry IV and later at the Royal Mint, built by Philip II in 1583 — coins were minted bearing the aqueduct as one of the security marks; thus, it can be said that this monument has travelled the world and become the emblem of Segovia.
It is because of this centuries-old connection that the Royal Mint complex houses the Aqueduct Interpretation Centre (CIA), a modern interactive and multimedia space.
The Aqueduct Interpretation Centre includes three ‘dioramas’, three three-dimensional displays that allow visitors to immerse themselves in the construction of the aqueduct:
- The aqueduct’s weir: The site where water was collected.
- The quarries: The extraction of granite for the ashlars.
- Construction of the aqueduct: The construction from pier 105 to 115 with almost a hundred workers.
This centre also houses the original sculpture of the Virgin of the Aqueduct, which occupied one of the monument’s niches from 1520 until 2015. This work, standing 1.86 metres tall and weighing nearly 800 kilos, was donated by Antonio de la Jardina, an assayer at the former Royal Mint located in the Corralillo de San Sebastián. The second niche of the aqueduct was occupied by a sculpture of Saint Sebastian, patron saint of the mint workers in Segovia.
The Acueducto Interpretation Centre allows visitors to view the sculptures of the Virgin of the Aqueduct and Saint Sebastian in detail, using QR codes and augmented reality.
In addition, the exhibition includes an audiovisual presentation set in the year 1520, when the Virgin was placed in the niche of the Aqueduct. This content is also available online at azoguejo1520.com.
Opening hours
Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
• Wednesday to Saturday: 10am–2pm* and 4pm–6pm*
• Sundays: 10am–2pm*
*Last admission to the museum is 15 minutes before closing time.
IMPORTANT:
The opening hours below are subject to change, so please check them for the exact day of your visit.
Prices
Segovia Royal Mint Complex: Aqueduct Interpretation Centre + Royal Mint Museum + King’s Garden with audio guide
• Standard: €5.00
• Reduced: €4.00 for holders of the Amigos de Segovia and Amigos del Patrimonio Tourist Cards; students up to 25 years of age and pensioners over 65 with supporting documentation, large families, groups by prior arrangement (12 people or more)
• Special rate: €1.00 for residents of Segovia.
• Free for children up to and including 12 years of age, teachers, and people with a disability of 33% or more with valid proof; journalists; official guides; on non-public holiday Wednesdays.
• Admission to the Royal Mint includes access to the permanent and temporary exhibitions and the Aqueduct Interpretation Centre
* – The ticket includes access to the Royal Mint and the Aqueduct Interpretation Centre.
* – These prices include an audio guide, except on Wednesdays. (Audio guide hire. Price as per the standard rate).
