The Roman villa of Arellano
Cistern
Under the floor of the vestibule of the oecus or main hall, the reservoir of the primitive villa was located, which was fed mainly by rainwater. Measuring 7x8 m. and 3 m. deep, its capacity was about 150 m³. For its construction, the rock was previously excavated and reinforced with stone masonry walls covered with a thick layer of hydraulic mortar for waterproofing, made up of a mixture of water, lime, sand and tile dust. The cistern was covered by a double vault supported on the outside by the side walls and on the inside by pillars. The finding of this cistern in the town of Arellano is of an exceptional nature, given that the water supply in towns used to be provided by digging wells, cisterns being more typical of Mediterranean areas.
How to get there: The easiest way to get there is from the Pamplona - Logroño motorway, a few kilometres past Estella in the direction of Logroño, take exit 51 to Arróniz, on the NA-6340. After a few kilometres, the museum complex appears on the right.
Important: All information.
scheduleSee web page.
Bibliography: María Ángeles Mezquíriz Irujo, La villa romana de Arellano, Gobierno de Navarra, Pamplona, 2003.
