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Taboada Bridge
Medieval stone bridge over the Deza River in Galicia, Spain From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Taboada Bridge (Ponte Taboada; Puente Taboada) is a historic stone bridge crossing the Deza River near the settlement of A Ponte Taboada, on the boundary between the municipalities of Silleda and Lalín in the Province of Pontevedra, Galicia (Spain).[1]
A Latin inscription carved on a nearby rock records works on the bridge in the Era DCCCCL (Hispanic Era 950), which corresponds to AD 912.[1] However, an archaeological/architectural assessment commissioned by the Xunta de Galicia concludes that the bridge's present form does not appear to match a 10th-century structure and was likely rebuilt in the 16th or 17th centuries, with possible later repairs to the parapets.[1]
The bridge and its access track form part of the historic route network associated with the Camino de Santiago; Turismo de Galicia lists the site on both the Camino de Invierno and the Vía de la Plata routes.[2]
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Location and route context
Ponte Taboada stands on the Deza River, which at this point forms the boundary between the parishes of Santiago de Taboada (Silleda) and San Martiño de Prado (Lalín).[1] The 2010 archaeological report situates the crossing within historic routes linking inland Galicia, including routes from Ourense towards Santiago via Ponte Ulla, and notes that the bridge aligns well with an east–west route shown on the map of Domingo Fontán (19th century).[1]
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Description
From a morphological point of view, the bridge is a single-arch stone structure founded on the rocky outcrops of the riverbanks; the 2010 assessment describes a slightly pointed ashlar arch with a span of about 10.45 m and an average width of about 3.50 m.[1]
Inscription
A few metres from the bridge, a Latin inscription on a large boulder records the construction date in the Hispanic Era and its completion day.[1]
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History
Written references compiled in the bridge-inventory literature (as summarized in the 2010 archaeological report) indicate that, beyond the epigraphic date, direct documentary mentions are late: the report notes references by Vázquez del Viso and by Pascual Madoz in the late 18th century, with Madoz describing it as an old bridge (ponte antiga).[1] The same inventory literature also associates the site with fighting during the Peninsular War (War of Independence), although the surviving evidence is presented as secondary reporting rather than a contemporary record.[1]
Conservation and restoration
In 2005, La Voz de Galicia reported a Xacobeo-backed restoration project promoted locally (including the Fundación Deza), focused on cleaning vegetation, manual conditioning work and stone/causeway leveling, with a reported budget range of €60,000–€90,000.[3]
After flood-related damage, the Xunta de Galicia promoted repair works in 2010 on the downstream side of the left abutment and its retaining wall, accompanied by archaeological monitoring and formal analysis of the bridge.[1] The Xunta has also cited Ponte Taboada among the historic bridges that have received restoration and conservation interventions in recent years.[4]
In 2021, the Diario Oficial de Galicia published a grant award for “Acondicionamiento y embellecimiento” works along the Camino route at Ponte Taboada (Silleda).[5]
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Heritage and cataloguing
The 2010 archaeological report notes that the bridge is included in the Inventario de Puentes Históricos de Galicia (code P0-43).[1] In municipal planning documentation, “Ponte Taboada” also appears in the index of archaeological elements within Silleda’s heritage catalogue (PXOM).[6]
Current use
The bridge is primarily used by walkers and pilgrims on Camino routes that pass through the Deza region.[2]
References
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