Following an earthquake in 1773, Guatemala decided to move its capital city from Antigua to a new location, one ostensibly safer from natural disaster. But the new chosen location needed a consistent water source. The nearest viable source of water was to be found from the Pinula River, some five miles from the city center. To transport the water, the architect José Bernardo Ramírez, who planned much of what would become Guatemala City, designed an aqueduct constructed of bricks and cement. He was inspired by the Oviedo Aqueduct in Spain, which…
