Ansignan aqueduct, Roman aqueduct in Ansignan, France

The Ansignan aqueduct is a stone bridge spanning the Agly valley with nearly 30 arches stretching for 170 meters. It rises about 15 meters above the landscape and was built from crushed stone and mortar to carry water across significant distances.

A Roman bridge crossed the Agly in the 3rd century, with brick arches dated 220–270 AD; a water channel may have supplied a villa rustica. In the 9th century, under the County of Roussillon, the aqueduct bridge was rebuilt largely in its present form, with the canal and the passage over the river. The four wide arches at the river were renewed in the 13th or 14th century.

The structure takes its name from the nearby village and is viewed today as a symbol of Roman engineering mastery. Visitors use the site to photograph the impressive spans and learn about how ancient people solved water transport challenges.

The site is freely accessible and you can view the structure from below and at various angles. Wear shoes with good grip since the ground is uneven and can become slippery in wet conditions.

The canal system fed by the aqueduct totals six kilometres, not just the span itself: it includes small crossings, a single-arch aqueduct bridge and a 110-metre underground gallery 50 centimetres wide, probably built to drive a watermill. From May to September volunteer lock-keepers release water on Wednesdays and Saturdays to 71 landowners irrigating two hectares of gardens and vines.