Category: Civil Architecture > Bridge
District: Bragança > Mirandela > Torre de Dona Chama
Situated on the River Tuela, approximately 3 km west of Torre de Dona Chama, this bridge is located on National Road 206, between the village and Valpaços. Nestled in a gentle valley, it is surrounded by agricultural fields and streams with alders and poplars, forming a rural setting of great tranquility.
Access is via a section of cobblestone made of large granite blocks, where the grooves left by ancient cart wheels are still visible, establishing a historical connection between the road and the bridge.
Initially erected during the Roman period, the bridge was part of the ancient road connecting Braga to Astorga. The structure remained in use throughout the Middle Ages and modern eras, consistently playing a role of resilience and continuity in regional communications.
Officially recognized as a National Monument in 1982, it retains traces of several later interventions (namely two lateral openings for flood drainage and reinforcements to the piers) without losing its ancient identity.
Constructed from granite ashlar, the bridge is supported by six spans: five perfect round arches and one pointed arch, reflecting medieval or modern works that slightly altered the original design. Each perfect round arch measures approximately 4.4 m in radius, while the pointed arch has a sharper profile.
The deck is rectilinear and horizontal, approximately 80 m long, 6.3 m wide, and 6.5 m high in relation to the riverbed. Above each pier, the prismatic cutwaters stand out, serving as buttresses, lending solidity and visual rhythm to the construction.
The austere ensemble of grey granite merges with the earthy tones of the surroundings, creating subtle contrasts with the green of the fields and the silvery reflection of the Tuela. The robust, monolithic stone parapets define a clear line along the deck, inviting pauses to observe the ebb and flow of the water.
The interplay of light and shadow on the arches, combined with the riverside vegetation, transforms the bridge into an appealing photographic subject, especially in the early morning hours or late afternoon, when the sun casts oblique projections onto the granite surfaces.
Sources: https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ponte_de_pedra_sobre_o_rio_Tuela
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt
Coordinates DD: 41.66543185623569,-7.145928986908328
Coordinates DMS: 41°39'55.6"N 07°08'45.3"W
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