Historians have not definitively identified an exact date for the construction of the aqueduct, but it is thought to have been built sometime between 112 and 117 AD. This would place the aqueduct's timeline somewhere within the reigns of Emperors Trajan and Hadrian. It was designed to provide the fledgling city with water from the Rio Frio River.
Segovia itself was originally inhabited by Celtic tribes, who were forced out by the Romans. The aqueduct has formed a key part of the city's identity for centuries and even occupies a prominent place on Segovia's official coat of arms.