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Heritage classified

Origin and history

The aqueduct of Vendres, long considered a Gallo-Roman construction, is today more likely attributed to the seventeenth century. This work is presented in the form of a vaulted underground gallery, dug several metres deep, high enough to allow the movement of a standing man. Its layout is punctuated by large rectangular wells, known as spirals, measuring about two metres in length and five to six metres in depth. These openings, covered with carved stone blocks, were used to check the flow of water and to carry out maintenance work.

Crès water, a local river, ran through pottery pipes, supported by a small wall of sixty centimetres high, built along one side of the underground. These pipes probably fed the region's water needs, although the archives were lacking to specify their exact destination. Aqueduct, classified as a Historical Monument in 1926 for its remains, now belongs to the commune of Vendres. Its state of conservation and its partial layout make its history and function still partially enigmatic.

The structure of the aqueduct, with its spirals and stone vault, reflects construction techniques adapted to a relief requiring partial burial. Although its Roman attribution has been questioned, the work bears witness to the ingenuity of hydraulic systems, both from ancient times and modern times. Precisely adjusted stone blocks and spiral regularity suggest rigorous planning, characteristic of large water supply projects, regardless of their time.

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