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Origin and history

The Roman aqueduct of Carhaix-Plouguer is an ancient hydraulic system composed of two aqueducts built to supply the Gallo-Roman city of Vorgium (present-day Carhaix-Plouguer). The first, dating from the second half of the first century, brought water for 11 km from a stream, combining wooden conduits and masonry sections. An aqueduct bridge of 1 km long and 14 m high allowed to cross the elevations at the entrance of the city, leading to a high water castle.

The second aqueduct, built at the end of the second century, extended 27 km from the present-day communes of Paule and Glomel. Its route, determined in 1982 by engineer Émile Guyomard, included remarkable technical works such as a 900 m tunnel near Kervoaguel and a 900 m long and 13 m high water bridge near Kerampest. Guyomard mistakenly assumed the existence of a "inverted siphon" to cross the Kerempest valley, as no traces of aqueduct were discovered at the time.

The remains still visible today are located mainly on Rue de l'Aqueduc-Romain and in the activity area of Villeneuve. These elements, classified as historical monuments in 1862, bear witness to Roman engineering in Armorica. The springs and streams of south-east Carhaix fed this complex, essential for the urban development of Vorgium, capital of the Osisms in the Gallo-Roman era.

The route of the second aqueduct, sinuous and on an average slope of 0.27 m/km, illustrates the adaptation of the Romans to topographic constraints. The excavations and studies, such as those carried out by Alain Provost and Bernard Lepreêtre in 1998, have made it possible to clarify his journey and his technical characteristics. The aqueduct remains a major example of the Roman heritage in Brittany, combined with infrastructure such as the Kervoaguel tunnel.

Owned by the municipality of Carhaix-Plouguer, the protected remains are partly accessible, notably via the street of the Aqueduc-Romain. Their preservation allows us to study the techniques of construction and water management in the Roman Gaul, while stressing the strategic importance of Vorgium as a regional urban centre.

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