Puente de Alcántara, Toledo
Encyclopedia
The Puente de Alcántara is an arch bridge
in Toledo, Spain
, spanning the Tagus River.
Located at the feet of the Castillo de San Servando
, it was built by the Romans
after they founded the city. In the Middle Ages it was one of the few entrances of the pilgrim into the city.
It was declared a national museum in 1921.
The bridge should not be confused with either the Alcántara Bridge
in Alcántara
or the Alconétar Bridge
in the Extremadura
region, both Roman bridge
s situated further downstream.
Arch bridge
An arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of the bridge and its loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either side...
in Toledo, Spain
Toledo, Spain
Toledo's Alcázar became renowned in the 19th and 20th centuries as a military academy. At the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936 its garrison was famously besieged by Republican forces.-Economy:...
, spanning the Tagus River.
Located at the feet of the Castillo de San Servando
Castillo de San Servando
The Castillo de San Servando is a medieval castle in Toledo, Spain, next the Tagus River. It was begun as a monastery in 1088, three years after the city was conquered by the Christian army of Alfonso VI of Castile. Later it was converted into a fortress to protect the puente de Alcántara against...
, it was built by the Romans
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
after they founded the city. In the Middle Ages it was one of the few entrances of the pilgrim into the city.
It was declared a national museum in 1921.
The bridge should not be confused with either the Alcántara Bridge
Alcántara Bridge
The Alcántara Bridge is a Roman stone arch bridge built over the Tagus River at Alcántara, Spain between 104 and 106 CE by an order of the Roman Emperor Trajan in 98...
in Alcántara
Alcántara
Alcántara is a municipality in the province of Cáceres, Extremadura, Spain, on the Tagus, near Portugal. The toponym is from the Arabic word al-QanTarah meaning "the bridge".-History:...
or the Alconétar Bridge
Alconétar Bridge
The Alconétar Bridge , also known as Puente de Mantible, was a Roman segmental arch bridge in the Extremadura region, Spain. The ancient structure, which featured flattened arches with a span-to-rise ratio of 4–5:1, is one of the earliest of its kind...
in the Extremadura
Extremadura
Extremadura is an autonomous community of western Spain whose capital city is Mérida. Its component provinces are Cáceres and Badajoz. It is bordered by Portugal to the west...
region, both Roman bridge
Roman bridge
Roman bridges, built by ancient Romans, were the first large and lasting bridges built. Roman bridges were built with stone and had the arch as its basic structure....
s situated further downstream.