Chafariz das Cinco Bicas, Caldas da Rainha
The Chafariz das Cinco Bicas (Fountain of Five Spouts) is a large, Baroque fountain in Caldas da Rainha. The water descends in a cascade from bowls decorated with acanthus and other plant motifs. The fountain is accessed by two flights of stairs with the lower level having a drinking tank for animals.
The fountain was erected in 1748 during the reign of D. João V and is the most impressive of three such fountains erected at the time, when Caldas was at the height of its popularity as a spa town and retreat.
The fountain has five star-shaped spouts under the main bowl which gives it its name.
The spouts allude to the seven Pleiades in classical mythology, the seven daughters of the Titan Atlas and the Oceanid Pleione: Maia, Electra, Taygete, Celaeno, Alcyone, Sterope, and Merope. The Pleiades are associated with rain and water. Such allusions are common in Baroque iconography in water-related architecture.
The Latin inscription refers to the beneficence of the monarch and the idea of water as a heavenly gift.
The fountain was part of the town's water supply system when it was built. Azeitão, south of Lisbon, is another town with impressive fountains.
Accommodation
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