Fountain of Santo Antão do Tojal

Category: Civil Architecture > Fountain

District: Lisboa > Loures > Santo Antão do Tojal > Quinta do Aqueduto

Location

The Santo Antão do Tojal Fountain is located in the Quinta do Aqueduto area, in Santo Antão do Tojal, which is part of the Loures municipality. This site is situated in an environment that still reflects its historical past, conveniently located near the Aqueduct that once supplied it.

Origin and Purpose

Built in the 18th century, this fountain played a fundamental role in the daily life of the community, forming part of the system that supplied water to the settlement. Its existence is intimately linked to the Aqueduct of Santo Antão do Tojal, an important hydraulic engineering work commissioned by D. Tomás de Almeida, the first Patriarch of Lisbon.

Characteristics and Symbolism

Popularly known as the Fountain of the Arches, this singular structure features a single basin, designed with an elegant and curvilinear shape, from which water gushes through a mascaron. One of the most distinctive elements of the fountain is its stone bas-relief, which depicts souls suffering in Purgatory. Below this representation, an engraved inscription requested prayers in exchange for the water that was offered there, giving the fountain not only a utilitarian dimension but also a spiritual and cultural one.

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