Fountain of John the First King of the United Kingdom - Guimarães

The Fonte de João Primeiro Rei do Reino Unido (Fountain of John the First King of the United Kingdom) is a special and unique monument in the country, where the memory of the short-lived United Kingdom of Portugal and Brazil is preserved, established in 1815 by King João VI, then Prince Regent, when Brazil was elevated to the status of kingdom, which was later abolished by the Liberals in 1820.

It is a granite fountain with two spouts and the Portuguese coat of arms carved over the armillary sphere. It was built in 1820 , according to the inscription on the fountain, and was designed by the master robber Bártolo Fontão . This fountain was made to bring drinking water to places where it was scarce. In 1905, the reservoir that completed the fountain was removed and from then on the water flowed from the spouts into two stone bowls.

The fountain bears the following inscription : "Ioão Primeiro Rei do Reino Unido Menistro aqvi fes por a Estevão Ivsto, o qval com esta Fonte Magestoza Ornov a Patria do Primeiro Avgvsto Anno de 1820". The "first of August" would be D. Afonso Henriques and the "first John" D. João VI, whose name has been linked to the history of the city since 1808, when Portugal was under French rule.

Willem Vandenameele