Carioca Aqueduct

Known popularly as the Arcos da Lapa, this aqueduct was completed in the mid-eighteenth century to carry water from the Carioca River to the growing colonial town. Built of stone and lime with two tiers of tall white arches, it spans the low ground between the Santa Teresa hill and the city centre. Since the late nineteenth century it has carried the Santa Teresa tram rather than water, with cars rattling above the lively Lapa district. Illuminated at night, its long arcade is one of Rio's most recognisable monuments.