CANALLEM MAIORUM: THE RIVER OF THE VILLAGE

 
 

The first known reference to springs, reservoirs, and water sources in the city of Porto dates back to the 12th century and the “Letter of donation and protection of the borough of Porto in favor of Bishop Hugo and his successors,” from D. Teresa, dated April 18, 1120. This charter mentions the Paranhos Manancial. And in May 1138, in the “Charter of confirmation and extension of the Couto given by Dona Teresa to the See of Porto” by D. Afonso Henriques, these elements are referred to as having the function of dividing the territory. 
 

The Canal Maior, referred to in these letters as “Canallem Maiorum,” Canal Maior, is the Rio de Vila, while the Rio Frio is the Canal Menor. The two rivers in the city came to be known by the names we know today during the reign of King Afonso IV (1325-1357).

For centuries, the city of Porto was supplied with water through watercourses such as streams, mines, or wells. The main one was the Vila River, which flowed from the Marquês area to the Douro River, receiving water from a stream that originated in what is now Praça Almeida Garrett. Next in importance was the Rio Frio, whose source was located near Rua da Torrinha and passed through the Hospital de Santo António, through the Virtudes area, flowing into this area, also into the Douro River.

Around the 15th century, the Rio de Vila became a center of contamination, infectious diseases, and waste, as it was understood to be a dumping ground. Faced with this scenario of growing waste accumulation, in 1763 the City Council ordered the river to be piped in order to control the risk of epidemics. A large-scale underground aqueduct was built, and Rua de São João was constructed beneath it. The remaining flow was piped in 1875, when Rua de Mouzinho da Silveira was opened.
 

The filthy state of the river led the Porto City Council to issue a series of rulings over the years to prevent further contamination, imposing penalties on those who contributed to water pollution.

The ruling of August 31, 1613, is a code of sanitary regulations that protects not only the Vila River, but all of the city's water resources, with the application of sanctions. Fines were imposed by the “Meirinho da Saúde” (Health Officer), whose function, as highlighted by the City Council, was to control illegal dumping in the waters. However, the City Council created a municipal position with more specific functions to control the cleanliness of the city's fountains, springs, and tanks. In the Minutes of the City Council Meeting of July 5, 1732, the twelve people responsible for cleaning public fountains are named, the “olheiros da limpeza” (cleanliness watchers), as they are referred to in the Minutes.

On February 12, 1787, the City Council compiled a set of rulings, which remained in use until the last decades of the 19th century, as a code of conduct entitled “On the debris and cleaning of the city.” 
 

The difficulty in guaranteeing quality water to the people of Porto during the Modern Era, given the increase in population and scarcity of natural resources, led to the decision to build a structure for the waters of Paranhos during the reign of the Filipes (1580-1640). In April 1660, the Charter of Afonso VI (1643-1683) gave the City Council permission to charge one real on each load of salt entering the city, which would be used to pay for the construction of the Paranhos Spring, the most important in the city due to the abundance of its springs.

Although the Paranhos Manancial was the most important, there were also the Campo Grande, Virtudes, and Malmeajudas springs, which also supplied water to various public fountains and private properties with the financial means to pay the City Council for the cost of water.

Although there were springs from which aqueducts supplied the city in the 17th and 18th centuries, many public fountains were supplied by their own springs, which indicates the abundance of water resources in the city. These were often built at the site of the springs, or nearby, from where the water was channeled to the fountain. 
 

The Vila River still flows today, beneath our feet!