Puente Nuevo
The construction of the newest bridge (the one standing as of 2024) was started in 1759 and took 34 years. 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. 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. This bridge was quickly and poorly built; the entire bridge collapsed in 1741, killing 50 people.
See also
References
- ^ "History of the Puente Nuevo". Ronda Today. Ronda Today. May 2014. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
- ^ Thomas (1961). p. 176.
External links
- Ronda Today English language tourist Information about Ronda and surrounding areas.