The Fountain of Armés ( pt, Fonte de Armés), alternatively called the ''Fountain of the Moors'' ( pt, Fonte dos Mouros), is a 1st-century fountain built by

Lucius Iulius Maelo Caudicus Lucius Iulius Maelo Caudicus, born in 10 B.C., in the Olisipo region of Granja dos Serrões. The name '' Caudicus'' indicates an indigenous origin, who came to importance as the duumviri of Olisipo, and later, the flamen of the cult of Augustus. He ...

, an

Olisipo Municipium Cives Romanorum Felicitas Julia Olisipo (in Latin: ''Olisippo'' or ''Ulyssippo'' ; in Greek: ''Ὀλισσιπών'', ''Olissipṓn'', or ''Ὀλισσιπόνα'', ''Olissipóna'') was the ancient name of modern-day Lisbon while part o ...

flamen A (plural ''flamens'' or ''flamines'') was a priest of the ancient Roman religion who was assigned to one of eighteen deities with official cults during the Roman Republic. The most important of these were the three (or "major priests"), who se ...

, to honour the Roman Emperor

Augustus Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pr ...

, in the village of Armés, civil parish of Terrugem in

Sintra Sintra (, ) is a town and municipality in the Greater Lisbon region of Portugal, located on the Portuguese Riviera. The population of the municipality in 2011 was 377,835, in an area of . Sintra is one of the most urbanized and densely populat ...

History

It is suggested that the tank and fountain were constructed in the 1st century A.D. Recent analysis by Cardim Ribeiro suggests that the inscription was altered in relation to its original position, in order to facilitate access to the tank. Even today, the fountain continues to be used.

Architecture

Located in an urban environment, the fountain is located three metres below the actual level of the ground, decorating the southern wall section and covered by a slab of concrete, and accessible from a staircase. The rectangular fountain, 213 centimetres by 231 centimetres in height, is formed from various slabs of granite in a square form with overhang inscribed in

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power ...

. The Latin inscription reads: "L. I V L I V S. M A E L O. C A V D I C. F L A M. D I V I. A V G D S F", translated as ''"Lucius Iulius Maelo Caudicus, flamen of the Divine

, made this (monument) at his own expense"''. The part of the left lateral wall is a thicker, broader and irregular slab, seemingly primitive in origin. The ends of the lateral walls have been warn from over use. A subterranean conduit, which ends in a circular hole near the right edge of the posterior wall, 85 centimetres from the bottom, brings water to the tank. It has been modernized to include a manual pump to force water to the tank.

References

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External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fountain of Armes Fountain Armes Buildings and structures in Sintra Armes Buildings and structures in Lisbon District