The donkey-back bridge that crossed the river on the edge of the Medieval Realm

The donkey-back bridge that crossed the river on the edge of the Medieval Realm

A double-curvature bridge that still spans the river Freser. Built at the edge of the Medieval Realm, long before the car arrived.

The Pont de la Cabreta is an ancient bridge that crosses the river Freser, in the heart of the Ripollès region of Catalonia. It is included in the Inventario del Patrimonio Arquitectónico de Cataluña and connects the municipalities of Campdevànol and Ribes de Freser. In the 11th century, it was originally part of the road connecting Ripoll and Cerdanya. It is believed that the Count Oliba Cabreta I of Cerdanya and Besalú ordered or initiated its construction. The structure has a double-curvature, or 'donkey-back', with a length of 53 meters and a width of 2.8 meters. The main archway, at the center, spans 23 meters and soars 13 meters above the river. Both the smaller Romanesque archways on the east and west sides are still preserved. The construction materials are large Romanesque stones, well carved and sized around 15 x 30 cm.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons

Written by Nik Frost

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