Cisternas romanas, Ancient Roman cistern in Monturque, Spain
The Cisternas romanas is an underground water storage system from Roman times, consisting of twelve connected chambers beneath San Rafael cemetery. Built with Roman engineering methods, this network collected and stored rainwater using a complex arrangement of interconnected spaces.
This water system dates to the 1st century and was discovered in 1885 during cemetery expansion work. The find prompted archaeological research that confirmed its Roman origins and its role in the ancient community.
These cisterns reveal how Romans organized water use in their communities, reflecting the sophistication of local Roman life. The layout shows how residents depended on collected rainwater for daily needs and bathing.
You can visit the site through guided tours available throughout the year, with informational panels explaining how the water system worked. The panels describe the filtration and storage process for rainwater at the location.
This water system ranks among Spain's largest Roman cisterns and stands as one of the world's largest examples. The sheer capacity reflects how critical water management was to sustaining a prosperous Roman settlement.
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