MARDEL, Carlos - b. ~1695 Pozsony, d. 1763 Lisboa

Carlos Mardel, born Martell Károly in Pozsony (now Bratislava, German: Pressburg), Hungarian-born Portuguese military officer, engineer, and architect, active in Portugal. He is primarily remembered for his role in the reconstruction effort after the 1755 Lisbon earthquake.

Mardel first came to Portugal in 1733, as a sergeant-major of engineering for a Portuguese infantry. By 1735, he had become the managing architect of the Águas Livres Aqueduct. In this project, he personally designed and oversaw the construction of the Amoreiras Monumental Arch and the Mãe d’Água Water Reserve. In 1747, owing to his work on the Águas Livres water system, Mardel was appointed Architect of the Royal Household and of the Ancient Military Orders.

Following the 1755 Lisbon earthquake, Mardel was one of the primary architects responsible for the city’s reconstruction, alongside Eugénio dos Santos (1711-1760) and Manuel da Maia (1677-1768). His roofing designs became a staple of the city’s reconstruction.

In 1759, Mardel began construction on a country manor in Oeiras for Sebastiao José de Carvalho e Melo, the prime-minister at the time for King Joseph I of Portugal. The palace, known as the Palace of the Marquis of Pombal, is considered one of his main works.

Exterior view

Impressive evidence of the quality of Portuguese engineering can be seen in the Mãe d’�gua, the “mother of waters,” a reservoir at the end of the Aqueduto dos �guas Livres. The network had already been laid out under João V and provided all of Lisbon with fresh drinking water. Although the reservoir was not built until several decades later, Carlos Mardel’s design shows the importance attached to such projects.

The Mãe d’�gua is a small block-shaped palace in Neoclassical form, decorated by a double staircase and dual corner pilasters. Its interior is composed of a great vaulted hall of pillars.