Fountain of the Two Spouts

Imagine a time when, in all of Villafranca, barely two houses had direct access to water. In that 18th-century context, the construction of this fountain was not just a public work; it was a true revolution for the lives of its inhabitants.

The Fountain of the Two Spouts is the sole survivor of the three great fountains that were planned in 1791 to channel water from the Sierra. Its construction was a major undertaking that lasted for more than a decade, with funds still being allocated in 1801. Such was its importance that the design had to be approved by the very Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando, granting it a seal of prestige and artistic quality unusual for rural infrastructure.

Its structure is an example of solidity and functionality. Built with large granite slabs bound with mortar and reinforced with metal cramps, it was designed to last. The two square pilasters from which the water flows are topped by pinnacles (a later addition that beautifies the profile) and pour into a large rectangular basin. This design fulfilled a vital dual function: supplying drinking water to the neighbors and serving as a watering trough for horses.

Today, walking on its original cobblestone pavement, we step on the same history as those neighbors who saw other emblematic fountains disappear, such as Cebrián or Los Álamos. The Fountain of the Two Spouts remains as a monument to traditional engineering and the arrival of modernity to the town.