Carioca Aqueduct (Arcos da Lapa)

The Carioca Aqueduct was built in the middle of the eighteenth century to bring fresh water from the Carioca River into the city.

Its arches are colonial engineering in the centre of Lapa, not a relic set apart from the street.

From the end of the nineteenth century the same structure has carried the Santa Teresa tramway, so the aqueduct is both landmark and bridge.

Evening music gathers under the spans, and the tram still crosses above the square.

The walk from Lapa to the arches is about 5 minutes on foot. Stand in the Largo at dusk; the arches are the orientation point of the neighborhood.