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Alcántara Bridge | |
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| Coordinates | 39°43′21″N6°53′33″W / 39.7224°N 6.8924°W /39.7224; -6.8924 |
| Crosses | Tagus River |
| Locale | Alcántara,Spain |
| Heritage status | Listed ascultural heritage since 1921[1] |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Roman arch bridge |
| Material | Stone |
| Total length | 181.7 m (596 ft)[2] |
| Width | 8.6 m (28 ft)[2] |
| Height | 45 m (148 ft)[3] |
| Longest span | 28.8 m (94 ft)[4] |
| No. of spans | 6 |
| Load limit | 52 t (57 short tons)[5] |
| History | |
| Designer | Caius Julius Lacer |
| Construction start | 104 AD |
| Construction end | 106 AD |
| Location | |
 Interactive map of Alcántara Bridge | |
TheAlcántara Bridge (also known asTrajan's Bridge at Alcantara) is aRoman bridge atAlcántara, inExtremadura,Spain. Alcántara is from theArabic wordal-Qantarah (القنطرة) meaning "the arch". The stonearch bridge was built over theTagus River between 104 and 106 AD by an order of theRoman emperorTrajan in 98.[6]
The Alcántara Bridge has suffered more damage from war than from the elements over the years. TheMoors destroyed one of the smallest arches in 1214 although this was rebuilt centuries later, in 1543, with stone taken from the original quarries. The second arch on the northwest side was then later destroyed in 1760 by theSpanish to stop thePortuguese advancing and was repaired in 1762 byCharles III, only to be blown up again in 1809 byWellington's forces attempting to stop theFrench. Temporary repairs were made in 1819, but much of the bridge was destroyed yet again in 1836 by theCarlists. The bridge was rebuilt in 1860 usingmortared masonry.[6] And following completion of theJosé María de Oriol Dam, which allowed for the draining of the Tagus riverbed, the main pillars were completely repaired in 1969.
The bridge originally measured 190 m (620 ft) in length, which today is reduced to 181.7 m (596 ft).[2] The clear spans of the six arches from the right to the left riverside are 13.6 m (45 ft), 23.4 m (77 ft), 28.8 m (94 ft), 27.4 m (90 ft), 21.9 m (72 ft) and 13.8 m (45 ft).[4]
The bridge's construction occurred in theancient Roman province ofLusitania. In ancient Rome, the costs of building and repairing bridges, known asopus pontis ("bridge work"), were the responsibility of multiplelocal municipalities. Their shared costs prove Roman bridges belonged to the region overall, and not to any one town (or two, if on a border). The Alcántara Bridge was built at the expense of 12 local municipalities in Lusitania. The names were added on an inscription on the archway over the centralpier.[7]
| Original | Latin in full | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Municipia provinciae Lusitaniae stip conlata quae opus pontis perfecerunt. Imp. Caesari divi Nervae f. Nervae. Traiano Aug. Germ. Dacico Ponti f. Max. Trib. potes VIII. imp. V. cos V. PP. | Municipia provinciae Lusitaniae stip conlata quae opus pontis perfecerunt. Imperatori Caesari divi Nervae filio, Nervae Traiano Germanico Dacico, Pontifici Maximo, Tribuniciae Potestati VIII, Imperatori V, Patri Patriae | The municipalities of the province of Lusitania contributed to the construction of the bridge. [Dedicated to] the Emperor Trajan, son of the deified Nerva, Conqueror of the Germans, Conqueror of the Dacians, the Chief High Priest, given Tribunician Power eight times, acclaimed Imperator five times, five times consul, Father of the Fatherland. |
| Original | Translation |
|---|---|
Pontem perpetui mansurum | The illustrious Lacer, with divine skill, made this bridge, which shall remain through the unending ages of the world [lit., through the ages of the unending world] |
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