Puente de Alcántara

The Puente de Alcántara is a Roman arch bridge in Toledo, Spain, spanning the River Tagus. The word Alcántara comes from al-qanṭarah, which means "arch". Located at the foot of the Castillo de San Servando, it was built by the Romans after they founded the city. In the Middle Ages, it was one of the few entrances for pilgrims into the city and was the obligatory entry for all pilgrims.

There is evidence of its construction in Roman times, at the founding of Toletum. It was damaged and rebuilt in the 10th century, at which time a third arch disappeared, reduced to a gate with a horseshoe arch. During the reign of Alfonso X of Castile, it suffered serious damage due to flooding and was rebuilt. The western tower belongs to this period and was later decorated under the reign of the Catholic Monarchs, whose arms decorate its walls.

The eastern tower was replaced by a Baroque triumphal arch in 1721 because of its ruinous state. The bridge was declared a national cultural monument in 1921. It should not be confused with either the Alcántara Bridge in Alcántara or the Alconétar Bridge in the Extremadura region, both Roman bridges which cross the River Tagus further downstream.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons