Water Clock

Category: Civil Architecture > Clock

District: Madeira > Ponta do Sol > Serrado

Location

Within the parish of Canhas, in the municipality of Ponta do Sol, stands the Water Clock. This building rises in a rural area, alongside the historic route of the Levada do Poiso, easily spotted by those who walk by.

It is located in a tranquil environment, integrated into the landscape that characterizes the higher areas of this municipality, where the presence of the ancient levadas still marks daily life and local history.

The Irrigation Time

The construction of the Water Clock dates back to 1890. In a time when agriculture critically depended on water brought by the levadas, this peculiar clock had an essential function: to manage and equitably distribute irrigation time among various agricultural landowners. Water was a precious commodity, and the clock ensured that each farmer exercised their right in an organized manner, under the supervision of the levadeiros.

It served as a community timer, allowing everyone to know when it was their turn to access the levada water for irrigating the fields, preventing conflicts and ensuring the productivity of the land.

Traces of an Era

With a vertical tower shape and a quadrangular plan, the Water Clock features a robust masonry construction that rises over three floors. At the top, a dial with hands stands out, similar to a conventional clock, but here dedicated to measuring irrigation turns.

Its height and strategic position aimed to ensure that the dial was visible from long distances along the levada, facilitating the communication of time to workers in the fields, in an era when personal watches were not common.

Legacy of the Levadas

More than a simple old structure, the Water Clock represents a valuable testament to local ingenuity and social organization surrounding water management, a vital resource in Madeira. It is a rare example of the hydraulic heritage associated with the levadas, which shaped the landscape and agricultural life of the island.

Its existence recalls the central role that the levadas played and continues to be a symbol of the historical relationship between the community, the land, and water. It is classified as a property of local value, recognizing its cultural importance.

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