Restoration of the Caño Alto Fountain in Santorcaz

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Included in the Historic Gardens and Fountains Plan of the Community of Madrid

The Fuente del Caño Alto has comprehensive protection as stated in the Catalog of Protected Assets of Santorcaz. It is located at the beginning of the road or livestock route called "Colada del Llano de San Simón", a road that connects Santorcaz with Anchuelo. The livestock route called “Colada de la Hontanilla” passes in front of the fountain. The property is attached to the natural terrain, whose land it contains thanks to the limestone wall, receiving water from a natural spring.

The Caño Alto Fountain-drinking trough is composed of a rear retaining wall of the land made up of rows of limestone ashlars and some masonry.

This fountain is made up of two longitudinal pylons of limestone ashlars, separated from each other by two large ashlars that have a perforated area at the bottom that allows the transfer of water between the two vessels. The approximate dimension of both fountain pylons is 13,10 m long by 2,10 m wide. The retaining wall rises about 2,40 meters. The spout, according to oral sources, belonged to the axis of a cart wheel.

Reasons justifying the intervention

The state of conservation of the source prior to the intervention was poor. The weeds colonized a large part of the retaining wall of the fountain, causing the erosion and disappearance of the stone ashlars.

There was biological colonization in the vases and ashlars of the fountain, as well as numerous additions of materials that were not respectful of the historical element, such as bricks and cement mortar, missing stones and considerable breaks. On the other hand, the canalization system was in poor condition and required repairs, as well as modernization, since it had a clear negative impact on the property and the environment.

The starting point of the spring was not known, so archaeological surveys were needed to understand how much the level of the cattle track had changed and what the real volume of the spring was.

On the other hand, it sought to promote the recovery and permanence of certain patrimonial values assignable to the fountain-trough, especially its landscape value, as it forms part of a set of other similar elements such as the fountain located in the Plaza de la Constitución de Santorcaz or the laundry next to the fountain, located on the outskirts of town, which is very important and has been recently restored.

restoration project

The main objective that was pursued with this action was the conservation of the values that the object of restoration contains. Among the principles of intervention, the following stand out:

Ensure the watertightness of the fountain glass and the correct channeling of the water.
Preserve the pre-existing remains, eliminating the additions and negative modifications.
Restoring the pre-existing historical elements, both the retaining wall and the ashlars that make up the vessels.
Carry out partial restitutions, substitutions and reinstatements of stone elements where necessary.
Achieve a landscape improvement of the property from the intervention on its adjacent context.

Restoration project, images

The main works carried out have been the following:

Cleaning of vegetation and removal of biological agents such as vascular plants, mosses and algae, by manual removal.
removal of mortars of cement and bricks, as well as brushing the surface of the walls and cleaning the dirt.
Reintegration and substitution of masonry and masonry using criteria of distinction and reversibility in order to recover the original volumetry of the source, reusing materials from the area and even stone elements scattered throughout the environment that had belonged to the property.
Grouted with lime mortar in tune with the existing stone.
Achievement of a watertight glass from a layer of hydraulic lime mortar in a tone consistent with the joint mortar by manual execution and a final layer of resin.
Restoration, substitution and reintegration of metallic elements: spout, "non-potable water" plate, overflow and information sign, all of them of the same material and color.
Improvement and sanitation of the canalization system, including the integration of the chest and scupper with the new stone pavement and the monolithic furniture.
Maintenance of elevated element next to the first glass that uses the cattle that makes use of the cattle track. Substitution of the pre-existing bricks by large stone elements.

Image gallery

Technical data

General data

Location:

santorcaz

Dating:

The Caño Alto Fountain cannot be dated exactly, but it is named by Pascual Madoz in his Geographical-statistical-historical dictionary of Spain and its overseas possessions in the short review that he dedicates to Santorcaz: «and the vec. They are supplied with water for their uses from the 2 fountains that are at the entrance of the town (...)", as it appears represented in the historical plan of the urban complex of Santorcaz and which dates from the year 1876 (National Geographic Institute), by which is certain from the XNUMXth century or perhaps earlier.

In the file of the Caño Alto Fountain-trough included in the Plan of Historic Gardens and Fountains of the Community of Madrid, it is indicated that of the Fuente del Caño Alto "the history or date of construction is not known" but that "because of its location next to a cattle track, its characteristic use as a drinking trough, as well as its similarity with other existing elements in municipalities in the same area, it could be a fairly old piece built between the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries».

Protection:

It is part of the Catalog of Protected Assets associated with the Santorcaz Subsidiary Regulations. It is included in the file "number 8" of the aforementioned Catalog and considered with Integral Protection.