Inside the conventual enclosure, sustainability was fundamental. The presence of different models of production and in a diversified landscape enabled the independence of the Order of Christ and enabled the Convent’s enclosure. In this unit, several water structures were built, such as water tanks, levadas and the Charolinha, a great exemple of space of multifunctionality related to water as it was at the same time spring and devotional place. Such structures complemented the hydraulic system of the Convento de Cristo, which contained the Aqueduct of Pegões, wells, cisterns, reuse of gray waters and even pumps, exceptional during this period and used to take out water from the cisterns circa 1537.

The Order of Christ, as the holder of the right to exploit the waters of the Nabão River, dictated Tomar development rules. These relations of power extant in the management of the territory fostered a unique occupation in the Portuguese national panorama. Thus, the urban evolution of Tomar occurred from the relations with the water and the hydraulic structures developed along the Nabão River by the Order of Christ. In this sense, the local landscape was marked by water wheels. As a testament to the heyday of Tomar, the Roda do Mouchão, rebuilt in the last century, is exceptional in the Portuguese national panorama with its considerable proportions, authenticating the historical accounts of the Arab influence in the construction of hydraulic structures and the importance of the water wheel in the consolidation of territories.