The medieval bridge with a history since Roman times across the river Lima at the town with the same name
My previous post had pictures from Viana do Castelo, the town at the estuary of river Lima. 35 kilometres further up along the river is the town of Ponte de Lima. It takes its name from the bridge (Ponte) that crosses the river Lima at that place.
The first bridge was built by the Romans as they advanced north and at this place was the only suitable crossing in a long while. The bridge was rebuilt in medieval times, but much of the original foundations remains. When the Moors invaded the south of Portugal and Spain, the river Lima became a defensive line for the Christians in the north and the town of Ponte de Lima became a stronghold for the defence of the Christian territory.
Ponte de Lima, now a warren of cobbled small lanes on the south side of the river, is the oldest town in Portugal. It received its charter in 1125, when all the south of Portugal were still under Moorish control. The town itself has around 3,000 inhabitants, in modern terms not quite a giant, but a delightful place to visit.
The river Lima is shallow but wide at this point, which made it a natural place for a crossing and later to build a bridge in Roman times. The main part of the town is to the right, just outside the image.
A detail of two spans of the long bridge
Looking upriver along the calm waters of LimaLooking along the bridge towards Igreja de Santo António
Our car ready for a fast departure in case the Romans or the Moors would attack us
I loved the couple contemplating life together under the shade of the large (and obviously very old) olive tree on the square.
Igreja de Misericordia de Ponte de Lima with the oldest parts dating from the 17th C
Torre du Cadeia Velha . Inside was an art exhibition, which Tore just has visited. The tower was part of the medieval wall and defence structure protecting Ponte de Lima, but the defensive wall on either side of the tower has since been demolished.
