Puente Nuevo

The Puente Nuevo (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈpwente ˈnweβo], "New Bridge") is the newest and largest of three bridges that spanned the 120-metre-deep (390 ft) chasm that carries the Guadalevín River and divides the city of Ronda, in southern Spain. The architect was José Martin de Aldehuela, who died in Málaga in 1802. The chief builder was Juan Antonio Díaz Machuca.

Puente Nuevo
Puente Nuevo in El Tajo gorge
Coordinates36°44′26.69″N 5°9′57.25″W
CarriesVehicular traffic
CrossesGuadalevín River in El Tajo gorge
LocaleRonda
Characteristics
MaterialStone
Total length66 meters
Height98 meters
No. of spans3
History
DesignerDomingo Lois de Monteagudo
Construction start1759
Construction end1793
Location

The construction of the newest bridge (the one that stands today) was started in 1759 and took 34 years.[1] There is a chamber above the central arch that was used for a variety of purposes, including as a prison. During the 1936–1939 civil war both sides allegedly used the prison as a torture chamber for captured opponents, killing some by throwing them from the windows to the rocks at the bottom of the El Tajo gorge.[2]The chamber is entered through a square building that was once the guard-house. It now contains an exhibition describing the bridge's history and construction.

Construction of the previous bridge started in 1735; this was the first attempt to span the gorge at this height. The architects Jose Garcia and Juan Camacho completed the bridge with a single arch design. Unfortunately, this bridge was quickly and poorly built; the entire bridge collapsed in 1741, killing 50 people.

See also

References

  1. "History of the Puente Nuevo". Ronda Today. Ronda Today. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  2. Thomas (1961). p. 176.
  • Ronda Today English language tourist Information about Ronda and surrounding areas.


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