Ponte Romana de Tavira, Portugal.
Posted by: 
greysman
N 37° 07.615 W 007° 38.990
29S E 619935 N 4109805
A seven-arched bridge over the Rio Gilão.
Waymark Code: WM90DC
Location: Faro, Portugal
Date Posted: 06/08/2010
Views: 26
From the plaque at the south-western end of the bridge:
Despite of the general belief that the Romans constructed the bridge, news of its existence was noted only in the 13th century, when the town was retrieved from the Moors.
It was designed and reconstructed between 1655 and 1657 by the military architect Mateus do Couto and the French engineer Pedro de Santa Colomba, giving the bridge its present aspect.
More recently as a consequence of the big flood on the 3rd of December 1989, the bridge was severely damaged and needed intensive restoration work, which was completed by the end of 1992.
These following facts from documentary evidence are also known about the bridge:
In 1666 George Cardoso announced that the bridge "has towers in the start and at the end".
In 1712, António Carvalho da Costa Priest, in Vol.III of "Portuguese Corografia" says that "the bridge of Tavira has seven arches".
Colonel engineer Sande de Vasconcelos, in "Plan of Tavira" informs that "the bridge was rebuilt by the Romans and by the Count Vale de Réis, the third grandfather of Marquês de Loulé.
Certainly not Roman as it stands now but almost certainly the site of a Roman bridge linking the two parts of Tavira and built over the Rio Gilão.
It's very impressive from whatever angle it is seen, and a nice stroll on a sunny afternoon. A little (road) train departs almost every hour during the day from the bank at the north-east end of the bridge taking passengers for a tour around the town and out to the Ilha de Tavira, a stepping off point for trips across the Ria Formosa.
Length of bridge: 85m
Height of bridge: Approximately 1.5m above high tide
What type of traffic does this bridge support?: pedestrians
What kind of gap does this bridge cross?:
The Rio Gilão.
Date constructed: 1655-7
Is the bridge still in service for its original purpose?: no - vehicles are banned.
Name of road or trail the bridge services: Ponte Tavira
Location:
Tavira,
Faro,
Portugal.
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