Civil Works’ Urban Heritage: The Significance of the Water Supply, Bridges, Roads and Rail Networks in the Conformation of Madrid

The heritage of public works is composed of networks that are strongly linked to the territory where they are built. With the aim of deepening our knowledge of the appearance and subsequent development of the transport and supply systems in Madrid, we present a study of the main hydraulic works, bridges and railway stations. Based on historical and technological documentation, works and networks are analysed and georeferenced in order to relate their traces and evolution to the city. These built elements define recognisable physical and cultural traces in the form and identity of the city. The documentation and technological and social analysis work was completed with a dissemination and heritage education process. The results show that the physiographic and lithological reality of Madrid, characterised by its intense link with water, has determined the configuration of the urban network and the expansion of the city. Bridges span obstacles and set milestones. Stations are spaces for exchange and connection. The water supply network feeds the urban grid. The city changes, but the traces remain. Urban growth has smoothed, absorbed or hidden the original relief and watercourses, but they are still present in public works and even in the collective memory of the citizens through the force of their cultural and social values.