Roman bridge of Longroiva

Category: Civil Architecture > Bridge

District: Guarda > Mêda > Longroiva

Location

- Located in Coitada, in the parish of Longroiva, Municipality of Mêda, about 2 km from Relva and Longroiva.

- It crosses the Piscos stream, a tributary of the Côa River.

Classification

- Classified as a Property of Public Interest since 1977.

Longroiva Region

- Village and parish 6 km from the county seat, surrounded by cliffs to the south.

- Known for its white houses and medieval streets, being compared to a natural nativity scene.

- Historical vestiges from the megalithic period to the Roman and Arab eras.

History

- Built between the 2nd and 4th centuries by the Romans to facilitate access between localities such as S. João da Pesqueira and Marialva (Civitas Aravorum).

- Roman bridges are known for their use of semicircular arches and advanced engineering for the time.

Bridge Structure

- Main characteristics of Roman bridges: a perfect semicircular arch, based on pillars, with flat and paved roads.

- The Longroiva bridge has a single arch composed of regular wedge-shaped voussoirs, providing robustness.

- Deck of about 20 meters in stone slabs, with guardrails/parapets in large stone blocks.

Construction Techniques

- Use of compression in the arch to dissipate weight and ensure stability.

- Roman concrete (mixture of lime and volcanic ash) used for resistance, especially in river crossings.

Curiosities

- The origin of the term "bridge" comes from the Latin "pons" and the Etruscan "pont", meaning "road".

- The bridge was widened, and in 1971 a new parallel crossing was built, leaving the Roman bridge out of road use.

- Marks of Fórfex visible on the structure, used to lift and position the stone blocks in the original construction.

Conservation

- The bridge is in a poor state of conservation, with alterations due to time, weather and human intervention.

- The current surroundings make it difficult to read the original architectural design of the bridge.

Sources: https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ponte_romana_de_Longroiva

License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt