Raschpëtzer Qanat
Encyclopedia
The Raschpëtzer Qanat is located NE of Helmsange
in the commune of Walferdange
, 10 km north of the City of Luxembourg. A qanat
is an underground water management system consisting of vertical shafts connecting to a sloping tunnel designed to provide a supply of fresh water.
The Raschpëtzer is a particularly well preserved example of a qanat and is probably the most extensive system of its kind north of the Alps
. It has been under systematic excavation for the past 40 years. To date some 330 m of the total tunnel length of 600 m have been explored. Thirteen of the 20 to 25 shafts have been discovered.
The qanat appears to have provided water for a large Roman villa
on the slopes of the Alzette
valley. It was built during the Gallo-Roman period, probably around the year 150
and functioned for about 120 years thereafter.
Helmsange
Helmsange is a town in the commune of Walferdange, in central Luxembourg. , the town has a population of 2,139....
in the commune of Walferdange
Walferdange
Walferdange is a commune and small town in central Luxembourg. It is located north of Luxembourg City., the town of Walferdange, which lies in the centre of the commune, has a population of 728. Other towns within the commune include Helmsange and Bereldange.The commune of Walferdange was formed...
, 10 km north of the City of Luxembourg. A qanat
Qanat
A qanāt is a water management system used to provide a reliable supply of water for human settlements and irrigation in hot, arid and semi-arid climates...
is an underground water management system consisting of vertical shafts connecting to a sloping tunnel designed to provide a supply of fresh water.
The Raschpëtzer is a particularly well preserved example of a qanat and is probably the most extensive system of its kind north of the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
. It has been under systematic excavation for the past 40 years. To date some 330 m of the total tunnel length of 600 m have been explored. Thirteen of the 20 to 25 shafts have been discovered.
The qanat appears to have provided water for a large Roman villa
Roman villa
A Roman villa is a villa that was built or lived in during the Roman republic and the Roman Empire. A villa was originally a Roman country house built for the upper class...
on the slopes of the Alzette
Alzette
The Alzette is a river with a length of 73 kilometers in France and Luxembourg. It is a right tributary of the Sauer.It rises in Thil near the town Villerupt in the Meurthe-et-Moselle département, France. It crosses the border with Luxembourg after a few kilometres. In Lameschmillen it is joined...
valley. It was built during the Gallo-Roman period, probably around the year 150
150
Year 150 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Squilla and Vetus...
and functioned for about 120 years thereafter.