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The Carioca Aqueduct ( pt, Aqueduto da Carioca), also known as Arcos da Lapa, is an aqueduct in the city of
After 1706, construction of the aqueduct was given a fresh impulse by authorities. During the rule of governor Aires de Saldanha (1719–1725) it was decided that the canals, which at the time reached the ''Campo da Ajuda'' (today's
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a ...
, Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
. The aqueduct was built in the middle of the 18th century to bring fresh water from the Carioca River
The Carioca River (Portuguese: Rio Carioca) is a river in the state of Rio de Janeiro state in southeastern Brazil. It emerges from two springs on the southeast slopes of the Tijuca Massif in the protected Mata Atlantica forest of Tijuca Nationa ...
to the population of the city. It is a typical example of colonial architecture and engineering.
The Carioca Aqueduct is located in the centre of the city, in the Lapa neighbourhood. Since the end of the 19th century the aqueduct serves as a bridge for the Santa Teresa Tramway that connects the city centre with the Santa Teresa neighbourhood uphill.
History
In the early history of Rio de Janeiro, the nucleus of the city was surrounded by swamps with water of bad quality, and fresh water had to be carried manually from streams located relatively far from the city. Since at least 1602 there had been plans to build a system ofcanal
Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flo ...
s to bring water from the source of the Carioca river, located on Santa Teresa hill, to Rio de Janeiro. Colonial authorities attempted to build canals, but the construction was always hampered by technical and financial difficulties. By the end of the 17th century there were only a few hundred metres of canalisation completed.
After 1706, construction of the aqueduct was given a fresh impulse by authorities. During the rule of governor Aires de Saldanha (1719–1725) it was decided that the canals, which at the time reached the ''Campo da Ajuda'' (today's