The small water tanks, or arquinhas, were minor reservoirs supplied from a larger cistern, or irrigation tank, located at a higher elevation. From these arquinhas, acting as intermediate storage, clay pipes or conduits carried water to public and private fountains.
On some walls, arquinhas are still visible, identifiable by the metal door that was fitted for greater security and to ensure the water remained clean and potable, although their function has since been forgotten. Nearby, it was common to find a fountain from which passers-by or local residents could collect water.
The object on display, part of the Stone Species Collection of the Museum of Angra do Heroismo, is the fountain and the protective housing of a small tank that was removed in 1985 from a house on Rua da Pereira in Angra do Heroismo, in the context of post-1980 earthquake interventions in much of the city’s buildings.
