Ponte Romana (Roman And Medieval Bridge) In Ponte De Lima

The Ponte Romana of Ponte de Lima is a national monument, and it is easiest to appreciate by looking at its structure. The bridge is long and low, built entirely of granite, and it carries a roadway across the broad, shallow Lima river on a row of arches. The arches are not all the same. The older ones, from the Roman period, are semicircular and built of large, carefully cut blocks fitted without mortar, while the arches added in the Middle Ages, in the 14th century, are slightly different in shape and size and use smaller stones. Walking along the bridge or looking at it from the bank, you can see the join between the two periods in the changes of arch and masonry, a rare chance to read two thousand years of building history in one structure.

The piers have pointed cutwaters on the upstream side, which divide the current and protect the stonework from floods, and on top of them are small refuges where pedestrians could step aside as carts passed. The roadway is narrow, slightly humped, and paved with worn stones, and the parapets are low, so it is a bridge that was clearly built for people and animals rather than modern traffic. A newer bridge a short distance away now takes the cars, leaving the old one to walkers, so it is a pleasure to cross in peace.

The bridge was built as part of the Roman road that ran from Braga toward Astorga, in what is now Spain, and its importance made the town. The Lima was a hard river to cross, since in winter it can rise rapidly, and the bridge allowed travellers, soldiers, and merchants to cross safely. A town grew up at the crossing, and in medieval times it received a charter and grew further. The name of the town combines the bridge and the river. Pilgrims on the Portuguese Way of the Camino de Santiago still use it, and a number of old buildings, including a tower used as a prison in earlier centuries and a church at the end of the bridge, stand near its ends.

The best views are from the gardens along the riverbank, particularly on the south side, where the whole line of arches and the town behind it are seen at once. In the early morning or evening, the reflection of the arches in the water is especially fine. The bridge can be crossed at any time and costs nothing.

It suits photographers, walkers, and anyone who likes old engineering and quiet river scenes.