Roman aqueduct
Rome's first aqueduct was built in 312 BC, and supplied a water fountain at the city's cattle market. By the 3rd century AD, the city had eleven aqueducts, sustaining a population of over a million in a water-extravagant economy; most of the water supplied the city's many public baths. Cities and towns throughout the Roman Empire emulated this model, and funded aqueducts as objects of public interest and civic pride, "an expensive yet necessary luxury to which all could, and did, aspire".
Amoreira Aqueduct
The first municipal azulejos were erected in 1864, and were later supported with alternates dating to 1873. In 1870, the aldermen requested that the Cortes provide funding to repair and clean the structure, as well as construct a supplementary canal to facilitate future cleaning. During these motions, it was indicated that calcium buildup in the pipes should be removed every ten years, to remedy these problems.