Maria Lata D'água Fountain (Fonte Maria Lata D'água)

Maria Lata D'água Fountain serves as a cultural landmark in downtown Curitiba. Located at Praça José Borges de Macedo, near Paço da Liberdade, it is part of the historic downtown circuit and of the urban landmarks that help tell the story of the city center's development. The monument features a reproduction of the Água pro Morro sculpture, created in the early 1940s by Erbo Stenzel, one of the most important names in Paraná art. The fountain was inaugurated in 1996 and covers about 36 m², with a reflecting pool 60 centimeters deep. Maintained by the Prefeitura Municipal de Curitiba, the work was installed as a tribute to Erbo Stenzel's memory, according to records cited in a report about the monument. For visitors, Maria Lata D'água Fountain works as a point of reference for understanding the historic area. It appears in travel guides and image banks as a tourist landmark, but its value also lies in its connection to memory and to the representation of the woman portrayed. The figure became popularly known as Maria Lata D'água, while news reports and legislative initiatives point to the name Emerenciana Cardoso Neves, with mentions of Anita Cardoso Neves in some sources as well. This discussion helps explain the site's importance in the city's cultural debate. The fountain brings together authorship, identity, and the use of public space, and it is also linked to the historic row houses in Curitiba's central area. For this reason, Maria Lata D'água Fountain is of interest to anyone researching public art, urban heritage, and the visual formation of the historic downtown. Within the downtown landscape, the fountain stands out as a small-scale piece with documentary and symbolic value. The official tourism portal indicates that it can be reached on foot from Praça Tiradentes via Rua Cândido Lopes.