Teruel - Los Arcos

The place, once inhabited by Celtiberians, was taken by the Romans. In the 8th century, the Arab-Moorish armies advanced into the area and gave it the name Tirwal. In 1171, the Aragonese king Alfonso II conquered Tirwal with the intention of strengthening his kingdom's southern border after the Almohads captured the city of Valencia. He “founded” Teruel what empowered him to facilitate the repopulation of the region.

After the inhabitants took part in the conquest of Valencia, Teruel was granted the title of city in 1347 by Pedro IV of Aragon. In the Middle Ages, the Jewish and Mudejar communities gained significant importance in the city's social and economic life.

During the Spanish Civil War, the city changed hands several times and was virtually destroyed. The German Junkers Ju-87 dive bombers were used for the first time in the Battle of Teruel. After the final conquest by Franco's troops, the infamous Condor Legion also briefly used the airfield. It is estimated, that the two sides suffered up to 140,000 casualties between them in the three-month battle.

Today Teruel is a thriving town with a population of about 36.000.

The construction was planned due to the need to improve the city's water supply. Work on the "Traída" began in 1537, collecting water from a spring halfway between Teruel and Valdecebro. However, due to high costs, the work was soon abandoned.

In 1551 the council commissioned the French architect Pierre Bedel to resume construction. To overcome the ravine that delimited the city to the northeast and represented the last major obstacle, Bedel designed “Los Arcos,” a structure that gives its name to the entire aqueduct. After Los Arcos was completed in 1554, the next step was to regulate water distribution in the city. In 1558, the water reached the fountain in the Plaza Mayor to the great anticipation of the population.