Columbeira Fountain

Category: Civil Architecture > Fountain

District: Leiria > Bombarral > Roliça > Columbeira

Location

The Columbeira Fountain is located in the eponymous locality, Columbeira, which belongs to the parish of Roliça, in the municipality of Bombarral. Situated in a small paved square, it stands isolated within the village setting, flanked by traditional dwellings. It is positioned next to the National Road, at the exit of the village, in the direction of Roliça, fitting into an environment that combines rurality with proximity to community life.

Construction and Style

This 20th-century structure is a remarkable piece of hydraulic architecture, entirely built in limestone. It features a hexagonal-based tank with prominent edges, which houses an equally hexagonal central body. This body is topped by a frieze and a cornice, above which rises a pedestal with curved faces, crowned by a central stone urn. The fountain has three spouts, strategically placed on three of its faces, and inside the tank, one can observe sets of iron bars that served as support for filling containers, a functional detail of its design.

History and Significance

The Columbeira Fountain was erected in 1912, as attested by the inscription on one of its faces: "COMMISSIONED AND INAUGURATED BY A COMMISSION ON V .X. MCMXII". This date and the reference to a commission underscore the collective effort and the importance that water provision had for the community at the time. Originally serving as a fountain for water supply, it maintains this symbolic function today. The upper element that crowns it, a stone urn, is a replacement from 2007, due to the disappearance of the original, but it maintains the monument's initial aesthetic.

License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt