Águas Livres Aqueduct

Welcome to the Águas Livres Aqueduct, arguably the most impressive example of 18th-century engineering in Portugal. We are standing before a structure that literally changed the course of Lisbon's history. …

We are now standing at the 'Arco Grande,' or the Great Arch, which is the most difficult and impressive section of the entire aqueduct. This single arch reaches a height of 65 meters and has a span of 29 meters, making it the…

The section of the aqueduct that crosses the Alcantara Valley consists of 35 distinct arches, covering a distance of 941 meters. Walking along the top of these arches is a unique sensory experience. …

The Águas Livres Aqueduct is linked to one of the most 'very dark stories' in Portuguese history: the crimes of Diogo Alves. Between 1836 and 1839, Alves, a robber from Galicia, used a stolen key to hide within the aqueduct's…

The water carried by the aqueduct eventually reached the 'Mãe d'Água' (Mother of Water) reservoir at Amoreiras. Built in the early 1700s, this reservoir is a masterpiece of hydraulic architecture. …

One cannot discuss the Águas Livres Aqueduct without mentioning the 'Great Earthquake of Lisbon' on November 1, 1755. This event, with an estimated magnitude of 8.7 to 9.0, leveled most of the city, followed by a tsunami and…

At the end of the permitted walking area on the aqueduct, the structure continues for many more miles into the countryside, though there is no further public access. This point represents the boundary between the historic…

As we conclude our journey along the Águas Livres Aqueduct, I hope you carry with you a sense of the 'extravagance of medieval piety'—or rather, the extravagance of royal ambition—that made this project possible. This aqueduct is…