Puntos de Interés
Hydrography
Fuente de La Noria
On the northern access to Fermoselle, approximately 5 metres from the point where the road and the Arroyo del Piélago converge, it is possible to discern what appears to be a structure that resembles a bridge with a single eye. However, that this infrastructure is not a viaduct, but rather the so-called Fuente de la Noria. The system is named after the method used to extract and elevate the water from this shallow well. This method involves applying movement (generally by means of traction animals, such as donkeys) to a horizontal gear-type wheel, which in turn moves another vertical wheel containing the containers in which the emerging water accumulates. The Fuente de la Noria has retained the system of metal wheels, although it no longer provides the century-old service.
Prior to the establishment of the public water supply network in Fermoselle, residents collected drinking water from the Fuente de la Noria and other springs distributed throughout the municipality. The water was primarily used for the irrigation of small crops and the watering of livestock. However, it could also be used for the preparation of food and drink after undergoing a process of sterilisation, which involved boiling the water. The device could be employed for other domestic activities, such as washing clothes or personal hygiene.
The entrance to the Fuente de la Noria is preceded by a granite passageway, which is flanked by two low walls of the same material. Upon traversing the arched entrance, stairs abruptly descend a narrow corridor, which is coated with moss and other herbaceous vegetation, to the flooded portion of the well. This is not always the case, as the height of the water table at a given moment is a determining factor. When there is a considerable quantity of stored water, it may reach the edge of the entrance, rendering it impossible to see the steps