The capital of the state of Mato Grosso is a very picturesque city. It seems that you can ramble through the streets endlessly. But sometimes it becomes boring just to walk, so you want to visit local attractions and museums. In Cuiabá, you should visit the unusual Morro da Caixa D'Agua Velha Museum. Now there are the museum and art exhibitions, but once it was ... a reservoir!
As you know, Cuiabá is located on the banks of the river of the same name. Many old cities are built near the water since it is an important resource for life. However, it’s not enough just to build a settlement. It is also necessary to organize water supply for residents. For this purpose, they built Morro da Caixa D'Agua, which was the only reservoir in Cuiabá for many years.
The construction in the style of a Roman aqueduct was erected in 1882 under the guidance of the President of the province of Mato Grosso José Maria de Alencastro. The construction consisted of submerged liquid tanks from which water was delivered through pipes from the river to different parts of the city. It is noteworthy that the reservoir was able to store more than a million liters at a time: it was enough to provide a vital resource for the entire 26 thousand population. It is a miracle of engineering!
But the city developed and the technology of the 19th century was replaced by modern ones. Morro da Caixa D'Agua had seen better days, so it was no longer used for its intended purpose. The building was restored and reopened as a museum at the end of 2007.
Now in an unusual exhibition space, there is an exhibition dedicated to the history of technical structures: for example, archival records, ancient devices, and details like cast-iron pipes of the 19th century. Periodically, the museum also hosts traveling exhibitions of artists of Mato Grosso.