Ponte das Caínheiras

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Bridge of Caínheiras

Ponte das Caínheiras
Ponte das Cainheiras 1445.jpg
View of the small Romanesque bridge over the Rio das Caínheiras
Coordinates 42°01′32″N8°08′20″W / 42.025665°N 8.138821°W / 42.025665; -8.138821 Coordinates: 42°01′32″N8°08′20″W / 42.025665°N 8.138821°W / 42.025665; -8.138821
CarriesVehicles and Pedestrians
CrossesRio das Caínheiras
LocaleFlag of Portugal.svg  Portugal Melgaço, Castro Laboreiro e Lamas de Mouro
Official namePonte sobre o Rio das Caínheiras
Other name(s)O Diabo
Heritage statusProperty of Public Interest
Characteristics
MaterialGranite

Ponte das Caínheiras is a masonry bridge in the civil parish of Castro Laboreiro e Lamas de Mouro, municipality of Melgaço, in the district of Viana do Castelo, on the narrow traffic area over the Rio das Caínheiras.

Castro Laboreiro e Lamas de Mouro Civil parish in Norte, Portugal

Castro Laboreiro e Lamas de Mouro is a civil parish in the municipality of Melgaço, Portugal. It was formed in 2013 by the merger of the former parishes Castro Laboreiro and Lamas de Mouro. The population in 2011 was 657, in an area of 106.09 km².

Concelho, is the Portuguese-language term for municipality, referring to the territorial division. In comparison, the word município refers to the organs of State. This differentiation is still in use in Portugal and some of its former overseas provinces, but is no longer in use in Brazil following the abolition of these organs, in favour of the French prefecture system.

Melgaço, Portugal Municipality in Norte, Portugal

Melgaço is a municipality in Viana do Castelo District in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 9,213, in an area of 238.25 km². It is the northernmost municipality in Portugal.

Contents

Locals often refer to the bridge as "O Diabo" (The Devil) owing to the frequent traffic tie-ups attempting to cross it.

History

Dense vegetation overcrowding the small bridge Ponte das Cainheiras 1441.jpg
Dense vegetation overcrowding the small bridge
A view of the Rio das Cainheiras over the bridge Ponte das Cainheiras 1444.jpg
A view of the Rio das Caínheiras over the bridge

The first reference to the bridge occurred on 11 May 1758 by Father Inácio Ribeiro Marques, in the Memórias Paroquiais of the parish. [1] It is likely that the bridge was constructed at the end of the 18th century or beginning of the 19th century. [1]

Parochial Memories of 1758

The Parochial Memories of 1758 are the results of an enquiry sent to every parish in Portugal following the 1755 Lisbon earthquake, by order of Sebastião de Carvalho e Melo, the Secretary of State of Internal Affairs of the Kingdom. The exercise was organised according to a plan containing sixty written questions; the compiled answers, relaying accounts on not only the damage sustained by the earthquake but also information on the local geography, demography, history, and economy, are valuable historical documents and are stored in the country's National Archive.

Architecture

The bridge is situated in a rural area harmoniously implanted within the Peneda-Gerês National Park. [1] It is erected 160 metres (520 ft) northwest of the winter pasturelands of Cainheiras, over the river Cainheiras, at about 970 metres (3,180 ft) above cultivatable and forested lands. [1] It is located some 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from the chapel of Senhora da Boavista and 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) from the chapel of Senhora de Anamão. [1] The bridge of Cainheiras is part of a network of vicinal roads south and east of Castro Laboreiro, in addition to the Minhoto-Galacia regional roadways that connected Castro Laboreiro with Melgaço, Arcos de Valdevez and Bande. [1] Further, it connected Castro Laboreiro with Galicia to the east, in the direction of Celanova (through Portos and Seara) and south towards Entrimo and Lobios (through Ameixoeira). [1]

Peneda-Gerês National Park protected area in Portugal

The Peneda-Gerês National Park, also known simply as Gerês, is the only national park in Portugal. It is located in the Norte region, in the northwest of Portugal, specifically in the districts of Viana do Castelo, Braga, and Vila Real.

It is an arched bridge, with soft incline, over two arcs with long, regular staves, reinforced by triangular cutwaters. [1] On the ramp are large rectangular stone blocks that act as railing. [1] It is proceeded by a gentle incline from a curvilinear bend in the road on both sides. [1] The arches are slightly uneven with a 3 metres (9.8 ft) diameter, supported by long, regular staves. Between either arch are reinforcements: upstream, triangular cutwater and, downstream, rectangular struts. The ramp slabs are protected by guardrails formed by large blocks, reinforced by iron "staples". [1]

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References

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Noé, Paula (1992), SIPA, ed., Ponte das Cainheiras (IPA.00000436/PT011603020014) (in Portuguese), Lisbon, Portugal: SIPA – Sistema de Informação para o Património Arquitectónico, retrieved 8 March 2016

Sources

See also

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