Óbidos Aqueduct

The aqueduct that supplies Óbidos with water runs south from the town across the surrounding fields on simple stone arches. It's a sturdy, modest piece of 16th-century engineering rather than a Roman showpiece, but a good loop walk takes you out the Porta da Vila and along the base of the aqueduct for about half a kilometre.

Combine the walk with a visit to the nearby Capela de São Martinho, a tiny chapel that sits at the foot of the walls and shows up in early photographs of the town.

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A story
Built in the 16th century at the order of Queen Catarina of Austria, the aqueduct ran for 3 km from the Usseira spring to a public fountain inside the walls and supplied the town with water until well into the 20th century. Catarina financed it partly with her own funds, since municipal money was, as so often, in short supply.

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