Description of the attraction
The Water Museum in Lisbon is located in a 19th century building, which previously housed the first steam pumping station Barbadinos, built back in 1880 on the territory of the old monastery of the same name. The station was equipped with four huge steam engines that worked continuously. Uninterrupted operation of steam engines was carried out using five boilers. The construction of the station made it possible to increase the volume of clean drinking water, which was delivered to the capital of Portugal - Lisbon.
The Museum of Water opened in 1987, and has been constantly expanding due to the fact that the used parts of the station were closed. In 1990, the Lisbon Water Museum received the Museum of the Year award from the Council of Europe. It is worth noting that this museum is the only one in Portugal to receive such a prestigious award.
The Water Museum consists of four sections - the 1746 aqueduct, the Patriarchal Reservoir, the Amoreirash Reservoir and the pumping station. Among the huge number of museum exhibits are steam engines and pumps of the 19th century, boilers. Some devices are in working order, and it is possible to see them in operation. The museum has an archive, and visitors can see documents and photographs that detail the history of the city's water supply from Roman times to the present day.
The museum is very popular with local residents, and also won recognition outside Portugal. In 1992, an exhibition hall was created at the museum, which hosts temporary art exhibitions and other cultural and social events.
