Crosses Noguera Ribagorçana Inaugurated 17th century Location Alta Ribagorça Body of water Noguera Ribagorçana | Design Arch bridge Collapsed August 2nd 1963 Bridge type Arch bridge | |
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Locale Vilaller, Alta Ribagorça, Catalonia Similar Noguera Ribagorçana, Besiberri Massif, Sant Climent - Taüll, Santa Maria de Cardet, Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Mau | ||
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).
Contents
Description
The bridge is a construction of the 17th century that crosses the river Noguera Ribagorçana, linking the main center of Vilaller with the so called neighbourhood of Aragon that is located at the right bank of the river.
The original bridge had three arches, but the bridge 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 in 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.
The bridge endured until the flood of August 2, 1963, when the river destroyed two of the three arches.
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.