Fountains and more fountains!
My husband loves books and pictures of Sintra way back. Buildings in their glory, people dressed in old fashioned clothing - but mainly he likes the ones where you see the way the city was laid out - and maps. In many pictures, from afar, you can see the whole mountain very bare, almost treeless - but in the closeups you can see some trees and bushes and vegetation. And fountains. The trees have come and gone according to fires and cutting - the most glorious gardens and parks we have now have been planted specifically by Kings and famous men who chose to establish themselves here. The climate was perfect for the near tropical vegetation - and the water was plenty. There is plenty of water in the mountain and all of the habitants of Sintra throughout the years have known to channel it to serve their purpose, be it a public bath house or gardening; or simply a place where the citizens could come to collect water when there was not proper canalization. Many of the fountains no longer are operational but nevertheless are beautiful and a reminder of the past and of the city's wealth in water.
There are over 20 public fountains in Sintra, in the city and the mountain. Much more if you count the public washing places and tanks. Curiously the most famous and photographed of the city fountains is one of the youngest, Fonte Mourisca (in the above picture). Originally dating back to 1922 this fountain substituted the city tap near the public bath house of Volta do Duche. In 1960 when the road was widened, the fountain was dismounted and re erected about 20 meters from its original place. It has Arab influences with its green tiles and triple arches and is very popular still amongst the locals to fetch water for daily consumption.
Fonte da Sabuga's water has been known for its medicinal purposes. It was said to cure diarrheas and have special digestive qualities. In 1946 the company 'Águas de Sintra Lda' even bottled and sold 111.177 liters of the water of the fountain of Sabuga. The first time this fountain is mentioned in written works is 1406, but it has been redesigned several times - in 1652, in 1757, and lastly in 2004/2005. The water is still so popular that it is rare to pass it
and not see someone bottling up - people come from afar with dozens of 5 liter bottles at a time. In fact, the movement is such that the City Hall has tried to keep the water-collecting orderly by restricting the amount of bottles each person can fill at a time to two, just to keep the lines shorter. However, it hardly works. The locals are usually kind though to tourists, letting them pass in front of the line to fill their one water bottle. In my morning walks I have seen how it is kept clean and disinfected by the City Hall, the workers power-hosing it down before clients start their cuing.
The first mention of Fonte da Pipa (on the right here) dates to 1369. Its current architecture however dates back to the 18th century when the fountain was re erected by D Maria 1st's orders. It has beautiful, blue tile work and it's mouthpieceslook like barrels. The fountain is hidden in the narrow streets of the town - you have to know where it is at, it is very unlikely that you would stumble upon it.
My personal favorite is the Fonte dos Pisões (below), on the road to Monserrate but still before Regaleira and Seteais. Its strong colors and semi-circular shape, its sculptured structure and shapes together with the tiles make it a fascinating piece of art - dating back to 1931 when it substituted a city water tank. It has a special overflow tank for the animals, though it is one of the fountains that now runs dry.
More towards Colares, on the road there are plenty more fountains: Fonte de Mata-Alva (patronized by Sir Francis Cook, on the way to his residence of Monserrate) and Fonte dos Ladrões,
for example. Both of these fountains date back to the 18th century. There are many more on the mountain; some recuperated, some not, but all beautiful! It makes for a nice thematic walk (and some nice photo sessions) in town and on the way to Colares.
Here are pictures of a few more - just so that you get an idea of what to expect!
There are over 20 public fountains in Sintra, in the city and the mountain. Much more if you count the public washing places and tanks. Curiously the most famous and photographed of the city fountains is one of the youngest, Fonte Mourisca (in the above picture). Originally dating back to 1922 this fountain substituted the city tap near the public bath house of Volta do Duche. In 1960 when the road was widened, the fountain was dismounted and re erected about 20 meters from its original place. It has Arab influences with its green tiles and triple arches and is very popular still amongst the locals to fetch water for daily consumption.
Fonte da Sabuga's water has been known for its medicinal purposes. It was said to cure diarrheas and have special digestive qualities. In 1946 the company 'Águas de Sintra Lda' even bottled and sold 111.177 liters of the water of the fountain of Sabuga. The first time this fountain is mentioned in written works is 1406, but it has been redesigned several times - in 1652, in 1757, and lastly in 2004/2005. The water is still so popular that it is rare to pass it
and not see someone bottling up - people come from afar with dozens of 5 liter bottles at a time. In fact, the movement is such that the City Hall has tried to keep the water-collecting orderly by restricting the amount of bottles each person can fill at a time to two, just to keep the lines shorter. However, it hardly works. The locals are usually kind though to tourists, letting them pass in front of the line to fill their one water bottle. In my morning walks I have seen how it is kept clean and disinfected by the City Hall, the workers power-hosing it down before clients start their cuing.
The first mention of Fonte da Pipa (on the right here) dates to 1369. Its current architecture however dates back to the 18th century when the fountain was re erected by D Maria 1st's orders. It has beautiful, blue tile work and it's mouthpieceslook like barrels. The fountain is hidden in the narrow streets of the town - you have to know where it is at, it is very unlikely that you would stumble upon it.
My personal favorite is the Fonte dos Pisões (below), on the road to Monserrate but still before Regaleira and Seteais. Its strong colors and semi-circular shape, its sculptured structure and shapes together with the tiles make it a fascinating piece of art - dating back to 1931 when it substituted a city water tank. It has a special overflow tank for the animals, though it is one of the fountains that now runs dry.
More towards Colares, on the road there are plenty more fountains: Fonte de Mata-Alva (patronized by Sir Francis Cook, on the way to his residence of Monserrate) and Fonte dos Ladrões,
for example. Both of these fountains date back to the 18th century. There are many more on the mountain; some recuperated, some not, but all beautiful! It makes for a nice thematic walk (and some nice photo sessions) in town and on the way to Colares.Here are pictures of a few more - just so that you get an idea of what to expect!
Comments