Old Bridge of Vilaller

Old Bridge of Vilaller
Coordinates42°28′38″N 0°42′54″E / 42.4772343°N 0.7148718°E / 42.4772343; 0.7148718
CrossedNoguera Ribagorçana
LocaleVilaller, Alta Ribagorça, Catalonia
Characteristics
DesignArch bridge
History
Inaugurated17th century
CollapsedAugust 2nd 1963
Location
Map

The Old Bridge of Vilaller is an ancient bridge on the river Noguera Ribagorçana, currently in ruins. It is protected as a Bé Cultural d'Interès Local (Local Cultural Heritage site [es]).[1]

Description

The bridge is a 17th-century construction that crosses the river Noguera Ribagorçana, linking the main center of Vilaller with the neighbourhood of Aragon located on the right bank of the river.[2]

The original bridge had three arches, but was damaged during the flood of 1963 and lost two of them.

History

For many years the river was crossed by means of a lever located roughly where the bridge is situated. During the 16th century the village of Vilaller experienced a strong economic growth so that on August 15, 1686, the General Council of Vilaller petitioned to His Majesty Charles II of Spain the permission for building a stone three arched bridge where the lever had been until then. They engaged to build it and keep it.[3]

Old bridge Vilaller whole
Old bridge Vilaller whole

The bridge endured until the flood of August 2, 1963, when the river destroyed two of the three arches.[4]

For some time, makeshift wooden planks over the ruins of the bridge allowed crossing the river, until June 1964 when a new bridge was built upstream.[5]

Old bridge derruït and with passeres wooden provisional
Old bridge derruït and with passeres wooden provisional

References

  1. ^ «Pont de Vilaller» (en català).
  2. ^ «Coneix el municipi» (en català).
  3. ^ «POUM Vilaller».
  4. ^ «Diari la Vanguàrdia explicant els aiguats».
  5. ^ «Diari la Vanguàrdia, construcció del pont nou».