Technology
The ancient Romans also had a complex system of aqueducts, which were used to transport water across long distances. The first Roman aqueduct was built in 312 BCE. The eleventh and final ancient Roman aqueduct was built in 226 CE. Put together, the Roman aqueducts extended over 450 kilometers, but less than seventy kilometers of this was above ground and supported by arches.
Santa Clara Aqueduct
Founded at the beginning of the 14th century, the monastic community of Santa Clara always debated the problems with water supply to the monastery in the territory of Vila do Conde. At that time a tank (the "arca de água") was constructed within the monastery, which quickly became insufficient to the communities needs. In 1626, the abbey D. Maria de Meneses, from the House of Pentieiros, purchased lands and contracted a master-builder to construct an aqueduct to bring waters from a spring in Terroso, in Póvoa de Varzim, to support the convent. The construction was interrupted by abbey D. Catarina Lima in 1636, owing to the discovery of a significant slope, making the prior work useless.