THE ALMADINAS FOUNTAINS
An itinerary that explores the types of public fountains created during the Almadas period in the city of Porto, based on the principles of modernity of the Enlightenment.
“Porto dos Almadas” was a period that revolutionized the city's urban planning, moving it away from its medieval layout. The urbanization programs aimed to “modernize” the city of Porto, highlighting water supply as an area to be developed through improvements to fountains, water fountains, and aqueducts. During the Almadas period, work focused on maintaining the aqueducts in order to solve the lack of water in the city's fountains; on expanding the city's water distribution network through the construction of new aqueducts, fountains, and water fountains, motivated by the extension of the urban network, which took place between 1787 and 1804. “The master of the aqueducts had the following duties: ‘(...) to vary, clean and repair [...] or rebuild the aqueducts; to repair the fountains and water fountains and to caulk the bowls and tanks.’” The Salgueiros aqueducts were built and fountains were constructed, some in places where there were none before and others due to the need to move them from the center of squares or plazas where they had initially been placed and which urbanization programs forced to be moved to create open spaces and facilitate communications. Unlike the existing fountains, the new ones were attached to buildings in order to create large spaces. The “new fountains,” attached to a building, were in line with the Enlightenment concepts followed by the Public Works Board, bearing in mind the aesthetic and functional rationalization of space, the prevalence of public interest over private interest, public health, and the comfort of the inhabitants.
“Porto dos Almadas” was a period that revolutionized the city's urban planning, moving it away from its medieval layout. The urbanization programs aimed to “modernize” the city of Porto, highlighting water supply as an area to be developed through improvements to fountains, water fountains, and aqueducts. During the Almadas period, work focused on maintaining the aqueducts in order to solve the lack of water in the city's fountains; on expanding the city's water distribution network through the construction of new aqueducts, fountains, and water fountains, motivated by the extension of the urban network, which took place between 1787 and 1804. “The master of the aqueducts had the following duties: ‘(...) to vary, clean and repair [...] or rebuild the aqueducts; to repair the fountains and water fountains and to caulk the bowls and tanks.’” The Salgueiros aqueducts were built and fountains were constructed, some in places where there were none before and others due to the need to move them from the center of squares or plazas where they had initially been placed and which urbanization programs forced to be moved to create open spaces and facilitate communications. Unlike the existing fountains, the new ones were attached to buildings in order to create large spaces. The “new fountains,” attached to a building, were in line with the Enlightenment concepts followed by the Public Works Board, bearing in mind the aesthetic and functional rationalization of space, the prevalence of public interest over private interest, public health, and the comfort of the inhabitants.
Click on the itinerary points to get directions:
• Fonte do Ribeirinho ou dos Ablativos (Parque das Águas)
