Pegões Fountain

Category: Civil Architecture > Spring / Fountain

District: Setúbal > Montijo > Colonato de Santo Isidro de Pegões

Location:

Situated in the tranquility of Colonato de Santo Isidro de Pegões, in the municipality of Montijo, this fountain is set within a predominantly rural landscape. Its natural surroundings are characterized by heathland, dotted with pines and low-lying vegetation, inviting moments of serenity. The fountain stands alongside a road which, in this stretch, follows the route of the old Royal Road, marking its historical presence on the path.

For those traveling on the EN4, towards Vendas Novas, its location is easily recognizable, appearing on the right near the Adega Cooperativa de Pegões (Pegões Cooperative Winery), serving as a discreet landmark in the landscape.

A Stop with History

Conjecturally dated to the 18th century, more specifically between 1706 and 1750, this fountain, formerly known as Fonte D’el Rei (The King's Fountain), was commissioned by King D. João V. Its construction was part of a vast infrastructure project: the creation of the Royal Road, an important route connecting Lisbon to Badajoz. Under the supervision of Engineering Colonel José da Silva Pais and Engineering Captain Custódio Vieira, this was one of four fountains with tanks erected along the route, intended to serve as water supply points for travelers and their animals.

The Pegões Fountain played a crucial role in supporting the needs of those traveling the road, including the Mail Coach service on its route between Aldeia Galega and Vendas Novas. It is also believed to have served the encampments of the workers involved in the road's construction, bearing witness to the dynamics and demands of travel at the time.

Architectural Features

With a clear influence of Baroque architecture, the Pegões Fountain is an interesting example of the hydraulic engineering of its time. Its most striking element is the back panel, which rises with a sculpted finial, topped by a cross. The composition includes larger, symmetrical lateral volutes, which rest on the semicircular tank structure. Water flowed into this tank, gushing from a central spout on the back panel.

The fountain's structure is built in ashlar and masonry. A peculiarity of its design is the resemblance of the back panel to a temple pediment, a feature that, according to oral accounts, may be linked to the existence of a nearby chapel dedicated to Nossa Senhora do Loreto (Our Lady of Loreto), now disappeared.

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