1706 – 1990s
Waters, Spa, and the 20th Century
The therapeutic properties of the waters were only scientifically recognized in 1918. In 1940, a thermal bathhouse began to rise 20 metres from Fonte da Vila.
The first written reference to the waters of Fonte da Vila dates to 1706.
Their therapeutic properties were only scientifically recognized in 1918, when the chemist Charles Lepierre classified them as mesosaline, sodium-chloride, sulpho-carbonated waters.
In 1940, construction began on a thermal bathhouse just 20 metres from Fonte da Vila, diverting its flow. The building, typical of Estado Novo architecture, was completed in 1942 and operated until the early 1990s.
Near the Fonte da Mealhada, the Vitalis mineral water is bottled — still sold nationally today.
Spa tourism drove a new economic and social cycle in the town from the mid-20th century onward.
Related routes
- Guide
On foot · half a day
Classic historic-centre route
Castle → Judiaria → Synagogue → Fonte da Vila → main square. The most direct reading of the walled town.
- Guide
On foot · 2–3 hours
Guide to Fountains & Fontanários
The town can be read through its water: from the 16th-century Fonte da Vila to small street fountains and the old thermal bathhouse.