Toledo: The Thirsty City

Abstract

During the early modern period, many solutions were proposed to overcome the challenge posed by supplying water to the city of Toledo, whose level was one hundred meters above the Tagus. On the Vega, outside of the city, the river flow enabled both agricultural and industrial prosperity. In addition, the storage of water in reservoirs and the formation of gardens were possible within the walls of the city. The survival of classical and Muslim hydraulic techniques and the legacy of their advanced water culture were instrumental, through both the conservation of the old systems and the creation of new ones—dams, water wheels, mills, pipes, in inspiring the achievements of the medieval era. However, Toledo was no stranger to the treatment and hydraulic innovations of the Modern Age. One exceptional milestone was the water-lifting device created by Juanelo Turriano, in operation for a short period during the sixteenth century. This machine, based on several water wheels, was the result of its creator’s knowledge of hydraulics, as well as the collective expertise on machine-building that had been gathered up to this moment. However, it remained a unique case, as it was followed by several unsuccessful attempts to raise water to that urban area.