Medieval Bridge

The Medieval Bridge was built over an original Roman-era bridge that carried a branch of the Roman Silver Road linking Piedrahita with the capital of Salamanca. Some scholars claim it was known as the San Jerónimo Bridge.

The appearance of the bridge over the Tormes River is due to Alba’s strategic position in the Late Middle Ages. Initially, it was essential to consolidate the repopulation of the lands south of the Duero.

Later, it became a crossroads for roads and livestock routes used by muleteers, traders, and transhumant shepherds. The flocks of the Cordeles de Amatos, Arca de los Frailes, Ciudad Rodrigo and Torrejón, and the Veredas de Ejeme, Pedrosillo, and Salamanca converged here.

On its left bank was the fielato, a small building used as a crossing point. In the middle is a ramp, called the “Quebrada,” which served as a buttress and as an access point for washing clothes and watering livestock from the Alcázar Island, which disappeared with the construction of the Villagonzalo Dam.

The old bridge consisted of 26 arches, each one different. Since its construction, it has endured the turbulent history of Alba de Tormes: in the 17th and 18th centuries, flooding occurred at various times due to heavy rains, necessitating its restoration.

During the Peninsular War, the bridge became a strategic location, both on November 28, 1809, during the Battle of Alba de Tormes, during the French retreat after the Battle of Arapiles in July 1812, and during the British retreat on November 14, 1812, which ended with the blowing up of one of its arches.

Today, the majestic Medieval Bridge, with its 23 arches, continues to bear witness to the history of the Ducal Town.