Envision a time when water was precious. Right before you stands the Aqueduto da Serra do Pilar. This impressive stone structure tells a story of ingenuity and survival.
The Aqueduto da Serra do Pilar is an aqueduct. This structure is made of stonework. It features a series of twenty-three perfect arches. These arches are built with large regular stones. The stones sit on tall pillars. The pillars vary in height. This design helps the Aqueduto da Serra do Pilar follow the uneven ground. The base of each pillar rests on rectangular blocks.
Look closely at the Aqueduto da Serra do Pilar. Notice how it adapts to its surroundings. A section of the aqueduct’s wall was opened to allow the passage of the Avintes road. Today a concrete beam supports this opening. The ends of the Aqueduto da Serra do Pilar are solid walls. At the top is a channel. This channel once carried water. A lid protects the channel.
The Aqueduto da Serra do Pilar was built in the 18th century. José Bento Leitão built it around 1770. He was a respected military officer. He made a fortune in Brazil. The Aqueduto da Serra do Pilar was designed to bring water to his estate. The estate was called Quinta do Sardão. It was in Oliveira do Douro. José Bento Leitão wanted to supply water to his family home. His daughter Ana Augusta de Almeida Leitão lived there. She was the mother of the famous poet Almeida Garrett.
The Quinta do Sardão was described in 1881. Gomes de Amorim wrote about it. He was the author of Almeida Garrett’s biography. Later José Bento Leitão’s descendants donated the house. They gave it to Lazarist priests or French Sisters of Charity.
In 1923 the local council planned to auction off land near the Arcos do Sardão. In 1966 the Aqueduto da Serra do Pilar was altered. An arch was created to accommodate a national road. In the late 1980s construction damaged part of the Aqueduto da Serra do Pilar.
The Aqueduto da Serra do Pilar is a freestanding structure. Granite is the main stone. The arches and pillars are made of carefully cut granite. The Aqueduto da Serra do Pilar is now a cultural landmark. It is owned by the city.
Gomes de Amorim described the estate. He noted the aqueduct’s twenty-three arches. He compared it to those supplying water to Serra do Pilar. The tallest arch was about twelve to fourteen meters high. The aqueduct brought water to a large tank. Many washerwomen used this tank. The water came from a spring in a pine forest. It was as fresh as the Sabuga spring in Cintra. An inscription on the third pillar read 177U. This may have been the founding date.
The Aqueduto da Serra do Pilar stands as a testament. It shows 18th-century engineering. It also connects to the family of a famous poet. The Aqueduto da Serra do Pilar is a reminder of the past. Take a moment to appreciate this piece of history.