Águas Livres Aqueduct

Thus, King John V decided to build an aqueduct to bring water from sources in the parish of Caneças, in the modern municipality of Odivelas.

[1] In 1571, Francisco de Holanda proposed using the Roman system to supply Lisbon's water to Portuguese king Sebastian.

The continuing water problems attracted the attention of city administrators again in 1728, who levied a broader tax on certain foods products in order to raise aqueduct financing.

In 1748, although the project was still unfinished, the aqueduct finally started to bring water to the city of Lisbon, a fact celebrated in a commemorative arch built in the Amoreiras neighbourhood.

On November 1, 1755, the 1755 Lisbon earthquake hit the city, but the brand new aqueduct managed to remain intact.

After delivering its first water in 1748, the aqueduct fed a whole new network of fountains built in the city simply by gravity.

It is possible to visit and cross the aqueduct, starting at the Museu da Água (Water Museum) site in Lisbon's Campolide neighbourhood.