Reservatório Mãe d'Água das Amoreiras
NileGuide Expert Says:
Overlooked by many guidebooks, this outstanding urban reservoir once helped quench the thirst of the entire city.User Rating:
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+351 (0)21 810 0215Description:
One of Lisbon's more unusual visitor attractions, this historic reservoir designed by Hungarian-born architect Carlos Mardel was completed in 1834 to collect and distribute water from the Aqueduto das Águas Livres, itself a defining city landmark. The building's grand but rather nondescript façade hides an impressive interior. The cavernous chamber has a staggering 5500-m3 (1,452.946 gallons) capacity and is 7.5 m deep. Four centrally placed marbled columns support a vaulted ceiling and imaginative use of spotlight plays off the architecture and the water's surface. A small stage is set in the centre of the tank where music concerts, art exhibitions and other cultural events are occasionally held. Visitors can extend their tour upstairs where a top floor open-air terrace affords an appealing rooftop perspective and a close-up encounter with a section of the aqueduct itself. The reservoir's small garden is worth exploring on the way out.