Fountain of Rua das Taipas

Fountain of Rua das Taipas
Chafariz da 'Rua das Taipas'
Medium	Granite Fountain
Location	Porto, Portugal
Coordinates	41°8′35″N 8°37′4″W
Owner	Câmara Municipal de Porto

The Fountain of Rua das Taipas (Portuguese: Chafariz da Rua das Taipas) is a fountain in the civil parish of Cedofeita, Santo Ildefonso, Sé, Miragaia, São Nicolau e Vitória, in the municipality of Porto, Portugal.

History

The fountain and its niche along Rua das Taipas

In 1772, the residents along the Largo do Postigo das Virtudes presented the municipal council with a request to construct a fountain.

Although there is no indication when the fountain was constructed or completed, by the end of the 18th century, there was already a need to substitute the pre-existing fountain with another.

Architecture

The fountain is flanked by buildings along the Rua das Virtudes in the historic centre of Porto.

The granite fountain is part of a pyramidal obelisk decorated with a sphere recessed within a deep niche of rounded portico, flanked by pilasters. At the base of the obelisk is a tank and over that a semi-circular dish. On each of these elements (the obelisk and the semi-circular dish) are water spouts. The portico served as a shelter as much as a source of water. Over the entablature is a central column with plinth, surmounted by pinnacle. Much of the fountain is decorated with vegetal elements, but also includes a mirror-like circular element on the obelisk.

References

Sources

• Património Arquitectónico e Arqueológico Classificado (in Portuguese), vol. II, Lisbon, Portugal: IPPAR, 1993
• Porto a Património Mundial (in Portuguese), Porto, Portugal, 1993{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
• Silva, Germano da (2000), Fontes e Chafarizes do Porto (in Portuguese), Porto, Portugal{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)