The Burgo Bridge ''(Puente del Burgo)'' is a medieval bridge, built over an older bridge of Roman origin, which crosses the Lérez River in the city of Pontevedra, Spain. It is on the route of the Portuguese Way to the north of the historic centre of Pontevedra and to the south of the Burgo neighbourhood. Between the

arch An arch is a vertical curved structure that spans an elevated space and may or may not support the weight above it, or in case of a horizontal arch like an arch dam, the hydrostatic pressure against it. Arches may be synonymous with vaul ...

es above the pillars are carved the famous stone pilgrim's shells.

History

The present medieval bridge is the heir to the first Roman bridge over which the Roman road XIX passed according to

Antonine Itinerary The Antonine Itinerary ( la, Itinerarium Antonini Augusti, "The Itinerary of the Emperor Antoninus") is a famous ''itinerarium'', a register of the stations and distances along various roads. Seemingly based on official documents, possibly ...

. This bridge still existed in the 12th century but was in ruins. It remained for a very long time the only crossing point of the

Lérez The Lérez is a river in South West Galicia, Spain. The river meets the Atlantic Ocean at Pontevedra, where it creates Pontevedra's ria. The sources of the long stream are in Serra do Candán, in the mountain of San Bieito, in the parish of ...

River on the Portuguese Way. The first references to the current bridge date back to 1165, when King Ferdinand the Catholic of León and King Afonso I of Portugal signed the Peace of Lérez in the ''super flumen Lerice in vetula ponte'', designating the old Roman bridge as the Old Bridge. In the 15th century, the bridge had 15 arches, losing one arch when a new

levee A levee (), dike (American English), dyke (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English), embankment, floodbank, or stop bank is a structure that is usually soil, earthen and that often runs parallel (geometry), parallel to ...

was built to increase the depth of the port. Pontevedra_49-01r

In the 16th century, the bridge had two defensive towers, one on each side of the river, the one closest to the town being connected to the walls of Pontevedra and annexed to the old prison, as shown in the drawings by

Pier Maria Baldi Pier Maria Baldi (circa 1630 - 9 November 1686) was an Italian painter and architect. Biography Born around 1630 in Florence, Pier Maria Baldi trained under Baldassare Franceschini, known as ''il Volterrano''. He worked along with fellow pupil C ...

and Celso Garcia de la Riega. The towers were destroyed by the English in 1719. One of them was rebuilt, but it disappeared for good in 1805. In the centre there was a

calvary Calvary ( la, Calvariae or ) or Golgotha ( grc-gre, Γολγοθᾶ, ''Golgothâ'') was a site immediately outside Jerusalem's walls where Jesus was said to have been crucified according to the canonical Gospels. Since at least the early mediev ...

which, in the middle of the 19th century, was moved to the Plaza Alonso de Fonseca, next to the Basilica of Saint Mary Major. At that time, the bridge had only 12 visible arches. The bridge stands on the city's coat of arms with its tower and

. The first major renovation of the bridge was undertaken in 1886 under the direction of the engineer Prudencio Guadalfajara for its repair and enlargement. In 1890, the stone parapet was removed and a metal

guard rail Guard rail, guardrails, or protective guarding, in general, are a boundary feature and may be a means to prevent or deter access to dangerous or off-limits areas while allowing light and visibility in a greater way than a fence. Common shapes ...

was installed. Between 1953 and 1954, a major renovation and widening was carried out, with two lanes for vehicles and pavements on both sides for pedestrians. The idea of covering the pavements was also considered, which in the end was not done due to lack of budget. The

scallop Scallop () is a common name that encompasses various species of marine bivalve mollusks in the taxonomic family Pectinidae, the scallops. However, the common name "scallop" is also sometimes applied to species in other closely related families ...

s sculpted on the arches were a work commissioned in

1950 Events January * January 1 – The International Police Association (IPA) – the largest police organization in the world – is formed. * January 5 – 1950 Sverdlovsk plane crash, Sverdlovsk plane crash: ''Aeroflot'' Lisunov Li-2 cr ...

from Raymundo Vazquez and carried out by one of his

stonemasons Stonemasonry or stonecraft is the creation of buildings, structures, and sculpture using stone as the primary material. It is one of the oldest activities and professions in human history. Many of the long-lasting, ancient shelters, temples, mo ...

. In 1988, concrete platforms were built for the extension of Buenos Aires Avenue, supported by pillars, which concealed the 11th arch of the bridge below. During the excavations,

Hadrian Hadrian (; la, Caesar Trâiānus Hadriānus ; 24 January 76 – 10 July 138) was Roman emperor from 117 to 138. He was born in Italica (close to modern Santiponce in Spain), a Roman ''municipium'' founded by Italic settlers in Hispania B ...

's famous milliarium, dated 134 A.D, was discovered. In 2006, an

archaeological excavation In archaeology, excavation is the exposure, processing and recording of archaeological remains. An excavation site or "dig" is the area being studied. These locations range from one to several areas at a time during a project and can be condu ...

uncovered arches number 14 and 15 of the bridge and the 15th century harbour jetty with a blind broken arch. During the excavation, archaeologists found two milliaria, one dedicated to Emperor Maximinus Daza of the 4th century and the other to Emperor

Nerva Nerva (; originally Marcus Cocceius Nerva; 8 November 30 – 27 January 98) was Roman emperor from 96 to 98. Nerva became emperor when aged almost 66, after a lifetime of imperial service under Nero and the succeeding rulers of the Flavian dy ...

of the 1st century.

Pedestrianisation

In mid-2019, work began on the complete pedestrianisation of the bridge and was completed in 2020, with the installation of new night lighting for the bridge., Thanks to this renovation, a new granite covering was put in place and the old

was removed and replaced by a new one,

Description

It is a stone arch pedestrian bridge that has undergone alterations at different times. Made of granite, it consists of eleven low semicircular arches. The bridge has 10 visible arches, starlings, a 1.10-metre high grey galvanised steel

with integrated lighting and stone

s added as medallions between the arches above the bridge piers in the 1950s. The Burgo bridge is 11.2 metres wide and 158 metres long. The stone pavement incorporated in 2020 small blue lights that mark the Portuguese Way.

Culture

At the southern end of the bridge, at its confluence with the old town of Pontevedra, there is an archaeological area with the remains of the original medieval bridge (especially arches 14 and 15) and the medieval port, which had been buried by works carried out over the centuries.

References

Bibliography

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External links

Burgo bridge
on the site Structurae
Burgo bridge documentary – exhibition – history – renovation
on the site Burgo Pontevedra.gal
The Burgo Bridge
on the site Visit-Pontevedra
Information about the Burgo Bridge
on the site Rias Baixas Tourism. {{DEFAULTSORT:Burgo Bridge Pontevedra Buildings and structures in Pontevedra Bridges in Spain Bridges completed in the 12th century Arch bridges Bridges in Galicia (Spain) Pedestrian bridges in Spain Tourist attractions in Galicia (Spain) Stone bridges in Spain Buildings and structures in the Province of Pontevedra Bridges in Pontevedra