San Lázaro Roman Aqueduct

The San Lazaro Aqueduct is a 1st-century Roman aqueduct in Merida (ancient Augusta Emerita), capital of the Roman province of Lusitania. Originally extending nearly 1,000 metres, it was built from granite and brick with cruciform pillars and eleven-voussoir arches to supply water across the Albarregas River valley. Only three original Roman pillars and their intermediate arches survive today, as the structure was largely rebuilt in the 16th century using salvaged Roman stones. Declared a Bien de Interes Cultural in 1912, it forms part of the Archaeological Ensemble of Merida, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993. Nearby stand the Termas de San Lazaro, 2nd-century Roman baths supplied by the aqueduct.