The Alcántara Bridge
If there is one bridge that bears witness to the ravages of human frailties and violence in pursuit of power and territory, much more than the fury of elements, it’s the The Alcántara Bridge (also known as Trajan’s Bridge at Alcantara) of Spain. Among the most antiquated surviving bridges of the world, this bridge also has required repairs and reparations of damages caused by rival armies at times to defend the town and to invade at others. An illustration in a Spanish magazine of 1857 shows a yawning gap almost in the middle of the bridge suggesting that at times the bridge would have become dysfunctional, surely to to be restored soon.
This imperial Roman bridge was built in Extremadura in modern Spain, the region under Roman control and governance during those times. It was an arch bridge made of stone and was, therefore, appropriately called Alcántara which is derived from Arabic word al-Qantarah meaning “the arch”. Spanning over Tagus river, this marvellous stone arch bridge owes its existence to Roman emperor Trajan who ordered its erection in the year 98 AD but was in fact built over a period of over two years between 104 and 106 AD. The person responsible for its construction was Caius Julius Lacer. There is no available explanation for the bridge’s Arabic origin name.
The Bridge
The bridge when built was 190 meters or 620 feet long comprising of six arches of varying spans: 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.) respectively as one moves from right to the left on the bridge. The many damages and the repairs that followed resulted in the bridge becoming shorter by over 8 meters and measures 181.7 meters (596 feet) long today.
Inscription
Although inscriptions were the prevalent mode of recording important facts about the bridge, this famed bridge has all the significant details mentioned on the archway.
“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.” reads the Latin inscription.
Translated, it says,” The Emperor Caesar, son of divine Nerva, the German, the Dacian, Trajan, who was made three times Highest Priest, given eight times the Tribune power, and given five times the government; Father of the country.”
There is a benediction below, which hopes for the eternal existence of the bridge.
‘Pontem perpetui mansurum
in saecula mundi
fecit divina nobilis arte Lacer …’
Permanent bridge will remain
forever in the world
Lacer (designer) made by the famous art …
Well, the benediction has indeed served well!
Construction
The bridge is located in the ancient Roman province of Lusitania. The prevalent governance system in Ancient Rome then made the responsibility of sharing the cost of building and repairing bridges, known as opus pontis (“bridge work”), to more than one municipality. 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 central pier.
The Bridge Today
Although the bridge is currently in good condition, it has had to be repaired several times throughout its history. Various parts of Alcántara Bridge were destroyed at different time periods until the main pillars were completely repaired in 1969.
Not surprisingly, the Alcántara Bridge has suffered more damage from war than from the elements over the years. The first known destruction was by Moors in 1214 when one of the smaller arches was brought down although this was rebuilt over three centuries later in 1543. Spanish caused the second major destruction in 1760 when second arch was d, centuries later, in 1543, with stone taken from the original quarries. The second arch on the northwest side was then l destroyed in 1760 by the Spanish to stop the Portuguese advance. It was repaired two years later in 1762 by Charles III.
In 1809 Wellington ordered the bridge to be blown to stop the French. After a decade of neglect, the bridge was partially restored in 1819.
Another major damage was inflicted leading to much of it being destroyed in 1836 by the Carlists.
The bridge was rebuilt in 1860 using mortared masonry. And following completion of the José Maria de Oriol Dam, which allowed for the draining of the Tagus riverbed, the main pillars were finally and comprehensively repaired in 1969. The bridge today stands fiercely proud and smilingly defiant notwithstanding the atrocities that it has witnessed and withstood.
Alcántara Bridge may have had a chequered history and tumultuous antecedents, but its place in the history remains as lasting and permanent as should be due to a monument that has seen the passage of time with muted patience.
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