Drainpipes and catch basins of Robledo Springs

Matarrubia Hillsides, Moralzarzal.

Encounter with hydraulic architecture: stone and water.

The architecture of Sierra de Guadarrama has at its core the granite and this material is also key in this great hydraulic work. It was built at the end of the 19th century on the slopes of Matarrubia to get water to the fountain in the Plaza de la Constitución and to the one of Cuatro Caños, in the centre of the village.

Originally, the drainpipes had a cast iron pipe through which the water flowed; it can still be seen in some sections. These drainpipes channel and collect water from the springs that run through the Robledo mountain; their sources are the Grande and Peñalagua Streams.

This work is rooted in the rich Islamic hydraulic tradition that over the centuries got better and better all over the territory that nowadays is the Madrid Autonomous Region. These modest systems of cisterns and irrigation ditches have been a central piece in the growth of the municipalities in the area and their number has increased. Nowadays, a high number of reservoirs generously furnish water to all the inhabitants of Madrid Autonomous Region.