Segovia’s Aqueduct is one of the most iconic engineering feats of ancient Rome in Spain.Credit: Santiago Carneri
A 63-year-old man, with British passport, passed away at approximately 13:10 this Saturday after falling from the Segovia aqueduct lookout, according to a statement from the local council’s press office.
The initial theories suggest that the man had sat on the edge of the lookout wall and lost his balance, falling backwards into the void.
Several units from emergency services, local police, and the National Police attended the scene, but medical teams were only able to confirm his death.
The man had travelled to Segovia last Thursday with two other people. The coroner’s office is now expected to authorise the removal of the body.
Segovia’s Aqueduct is one of the most iconic engineering feats of ancient Rome in Spain. It is an aqueduct that carried water from the Sierra de Guadarrama to the city of Segovia, in the region of Castilla y León.
Built around the 1st century AD, this aqueduct is famous for its impressive stone arch structure, built without the use of mortar, showcasing remarkable skill in Roman engineering. It stretches for about 15 kilometres, but the most well-known and visited section runs through the centre of Segovia, where it crosses the city with a series of 167 arches.
In March, the Segovia City Council, with the agreement of all municipal groups (PSOE, PP, CDS, IU, and Podemos-Equo), amended a regulation to include any type of damage to both the Roman aqueduct and buildings within the historic site, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
As a result, leaning on or climbing the granite blocks of the Roman monument, climbing onto the canal, or littering could lead to fines of up to 3000 euros.
Authorities are still investigating the incident.
Last year, a 26-year-old Englishman fell to his death near Talavera de la Reina while attempting to climb the Talavera cable-stayed bridge. At 192 metres, the Castilla-La Mancha bridge is the highest in Spain and the second tallest in Europe.
It appears the deceased, who was with a 24-year-old English companion, had travelled to Talavera de la Reina to take videos and photographs from the top of the bridge. This practice, common among influencers and extreme sports enthusiasts, has become widespread, with people risking their lives to climb the iconic bridge over the Tagus River.
