The Cornalvo Dam is a Roman gravity dam built to supply water to the Roman colonia of Emerita Augusta –present-day Mérida, Spain–, capital of the Roman province of Lusitania. It was built in the 1st–2nd century AD as part of the infrastructure which supplied water to the city. The earth dam Roman concrete and stone cladding on the water face is still in use.[1]

Cornalvo Dam
Roman Cornalvo dam in Spain
LocationMérida (Badajoz), Spain
Coordinates38°59′18″N 6°11′28″W / 38.98833°N 6.19111°W / 38.98833; -6.19111
Opening date1st–2nd century
Dam and spillways
ImpoundsAlbarregas (Guadiana basin)
Height28 m (92 ft)
Length194 m (636 ft)
Width (base)26 m (85 ft)
Official nameCornalvo Dam
TypeCultural
Criteriaiii, iv
Designated1993 (17th session)
Part ofArchaeological Ensemble of Mérida
Reference no.664-013
RegionEurope and North America
Official namePantano romano de Cornalvo
TypeNon-movable
CriteriaMonument
Designated13 December 1912
Reference no.RI-51-0000115

The dam is part of the Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida, which is one of the largest and most extensive archaeological sites in Spain and that was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1993.[2]

See also

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Notes

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References

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  • Arenillas, Miguel; Castillo, Juan C. (2003), "Dams from the Roman Era in Spain. Analysis of Design Forms (with Appendix)", 1st International Congress on Construction History [20th–24th January], Madrid

Further reading

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