The process for the eventual classification of the “Wall of the Nine Windows” aqueduct in the village of Santo António, municipality of Ponta Delgada, entered today the phase of written hearing by interested parties.

The deadline for the written hearing phase is set at 15 days, according to the announcement published in the Official Journal by the Regional Secretariat for Education and Culture, Avelino Meneses, and the public notices posted in the headquarters of Ponta Delgada and the Parish Council of Santo António.

At this stage, interested parties are invited to participate by raising questions or safeguarding matters of interested for the decision-making process before a decision is taken in terms of matters of fact and law. 

The Wall of the Nine Windows, known as such due to its nine arches, five upper and four lower aches, is considered as the largest and most emblematic aqueduct of São Miguel Island.

Despite the name, there is still another arch, at the base, that serves as a passageway to the water from the valley.

In addition to their lifting function, these arches allow the movement of the wind without any impediment. This is an essential feature as they are located in high-altitude and windy areas.

The layout of the Wall of the Nine Windows takes the shape of 21 round arches and counterforts on both sides, being an effective way of reinforcing the sustainability of this structure. In the upper part, it comprises a stone conduit, where the water circulates, with an approximate extension of 250 metres.

This aqueduct, decommissioned around 1888, was built by Ponta Delgada City Hall with the purpose of transporting water from Lago do Canário and Lagoas Empadadas lakes to the city of Ponta Delgada, covering an extension of more than a dozen kilometres.