Mãe d’Água das Amoreiras Reservoir – Water Museum

Designed in 1746, the large reservoir was still under construction in 1763, the year of Carlos Mardel’s death. The work was resumed in 1771 and, successively stopping and resuming, it was concluded in 1834, in the reign of Queen Maria II. This reservoir marks the entry of the impressive Águas Livres Aqueduct into Lisbon, and completes the water supply system that transformed the capital’s rural and urban landscapes, as well as the public space with the construction of a network of fountains. The geometric and constructive erudition reflects the relevance of this work in the urban modernisation of Lisbon, even though its construction brought a reduction in scale, compared to the initial project, in the reservoir capacity and decorative elements. The waterfall, from which water flows into the tank, was built with stone from the springs that feed the reservoir.

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