Founded at the beginning of the 14th century, the monastic community of Santa Clara was always confronted with serious problems concerning the water supply to the monastery in the territory of Vila do Conde.

[1] The abbess put the project under the direction of captain Domingos Lopes, from Porto and artillery lieutenant-general Manuel de Villa Lobos.

[2] On 25 November 2006, the spaces surrounding the aqueduct were requalified (between the monastery of Santa Clara and Rua da Lada), authored by architect Manuel Maia Gomes, who received the Alexandre Herculano National Architecture Award by the Associação Portuguesa dos Municípios (APMCH), the Portuguese Municipal Association.

[2] This problem mostly affects the area of the monument located in Póvoa de Varzim, due to lack of maintenance, a responsibility of the national government.

[1][2] Of the original structure, a great part of the early aqueduct has been weakened over time, not including the segment from the Church of Santa Clara until the municipal limits, an extension of 500 metres (1,600 ft) of 4 kilometres (2.5 mi).