This is not just a fountain. It's the subject of one of the most controversial paintings in Portuguese history. Around 1570, a Flemish artist stood near the Chafariz d'El-Rei at Cais de Santarém and painted something extraordinary. The artwork shows over 150 people gathered around this medieval fountain: African slaves carrying water jugs, Portuguese nobles on horseback, Jewish merchants, and free Black residents. Everyone shared the same water source in the bustling Alfama waterfront.
What makes this painting remarkable is that European art from the 1500s almost never depicted such racial and social diversity. For centuries, art historians didn't even know this painting existed. When millionaire José Berardo bought the panel in the late 1990s, experts immediately questioned if it was real. How could a 16th century European painting show Black Africans, Jews, and Christians interacting so naturally
Many believed it was a modern fake. In 2017, the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga finally settled the debate. Using scientific analysis, they proved the painting was genuine. The wood, paint, and techniques all dated to the 1570s. The Chafariz d'El-Rei itself was built in the 1200s by King Dinis to supply fresh water to the fishing community and ships docking at the riverfront. The fountain still stands at the same spot today.
Sources. Story: Source story: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chafariz_d'El-Rey https://smarthistory.org/chafariz-del-rei/ Photos: Source photo: By anonymous - The Berardo Collection, Lisbon (via Walters Museum), Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=49585404
