Cerro da Vila (Port)
Roman aqueducts: Cerro de Vila (Portugal)
Cerro de Vila
Cerro da Vila
The aqueduct in the area of the roman villa Cerro da Vila had its beginning at the dam of Vale Tesnado that was situated close to the Vale Tesnado
stream, which is a side branch of the Quarteira, in the municipality of Loulé (Algarve province, S. Portugal) with Gauss coordinates M-200,4 and P=14,3.
The water basin of 37,5 km2 is the biggest of the ancient artificial lakes studied so far.
The first reference to the dam was made by A. do Paço et al. in their publication of 1966, who were the first to consider the link to the
roman villa of Cerro da Vila situated 1.700m SE of the dam. According to the authors it was a construction with opus signinum of which
only big blocks remains. The dam was also cited by M.L. Santos (1972) but he did not gave details.
What is visible now is an overgrown construction 1,2m high and 0,70m thick made of opus caementicium (roman concrete) built of small pieces
of stone and shingles without any visible protection layer (opus signinum). The dam followed the shape of the valley with a flat bottom
220m long of tufa stone as a foundation.
As Do Paço already wrote, the dam was destroyed by construction work for a road and other objects. Its purpose was quite clear and the
existence of the channel was confirmed by local people who knew that the water had its destination in Cerro da Vila.
The aqueduct was intended for the water supply of two bath buildings in the area. In the course of the excavations a few parts of its channel
heading to Cerro da Vila were observed. An excavated part of the aqueduct had a width of approximately 0,35m, built in opus incertum,
internally coated with mortar (only visible at some places).
W.D. Schram
From Vale Tesnado to Cerro da Vila
| Item
| Info
|
| Length |
1,7 km |
| Cross-section |
0,35m x ?m |
| Volume |
? m3/day |
| Fall |
? % |
| Period |
unknown |
| Features |
|
| Recommended literature :
| Aproveitamentos hidráulicos romanos a sul do Tejo (1986) - A.C. Quintela, J.L. Cardoso and J.M. Mascarenhas
|
| Recommended website :
| none
|
| How to visit :
| The Cerro da Vila site and museum are adequately signposted in the area of Vilamoura (Algarve, Portugal) and are situated quite
close to the main harbor.
Of the dam and aqueduct nearly noting is visible now; some remains still exists on the site of Cerro da Vila.
|
