Aqueduto das Águas Livres

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Aqueduto das Águas Livres

The Aqueduto das Águas Livres in Lisbon is a complex system of tapping, delivering and distributing water to the city, the landmark of which is the large stone arches that span the Alcântara Valley . It is 19 km long and extends from Queluz via Caneças to the Campolide district of Lisbon . The building is listed in Portugal as a Monumento Nacional , i.e. a national monument.

The aqueduct is one of the great engineering achievements of the 18th century and one of the largest structures of its kind in the world. The building was built on the initiative of city representative Cláudio Gorgel do Amaral. King Johann V (1705 to 1750) commissioned the aqueduct, and the people paid for the construction by means of a water tax. The construction contributed significantly to solving the chronic problems of Lisbon's water supply. The aqueduct survived the great earthquake in 1755 undamaged.

The aqueduct spans the valley of Alcântara in 14 arches, the highest of the arches is 65 m high and 28 m wide. The water is led from Queluz 18.5 km underground and above ground to the Mãe d'Água ("mother of water") reservoir , now the Museu da Água (water museum), near the Amoreiras shopping center . A branch of the line also fed the Reservatório da Patriarcal near the Botanical Garden until 1940 .

Operations ceased in 1967. Today the limestone building can be visited and walked on. From there you have a view over the northern districts of Lisbon. The inconspicuous entrance is on Calçada da Quintinha street in the Campolide district. In Campolide there are small signs leading to the aqueduct, but they are as inconspicuous as the entrance. It was here that the notorious mass murderer Diogo Alves was up to mischief around 1830. He attacked passers-by, robbed them and plunged them into the depths. By 1837 he had 76 people on his conscience. He was later caught and executed, his head was dissected and is still shown in the Anatomical Theater of the Medical Faculty of Lisbon to this day. The footpath over the aqueduct can be used again today. It offers a great view all around.

Web links

Commons : Aqueduto das Águas Livres  - album with pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Aqueduto das Águas Livres in the Sistema de Informação para o Património Arquitectónico (Portuguese).
  2. ↑ História. Website of the Museu da Água, Lisbon.
  3. ↑ Contactos e Horários. Website of the Museu da Água, Lisbon.
  4. ↑ The head of Diogo Alves. Lisbon logbook, accessed February 24, 2018.

Coordinates: 38 ° 43 ′ 36 ″  N , 9 ° 10 ′ 0 ″  W.