Pont del Diable: A Roman and Gothic Bridge over the Llobregat
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.8
- Popularity
- Very Low
- Country
- Spain
- Primary era
- Medieval
- Eras represented
- Classical, Medieval
- Civilizations
- Crown of Aragon, Roman
- Site type
- Infrastructure
- Remains
- Bridge
On this page6 sections
History
Pont del Diable, also known as Sant Bartomeu Bridge, is a historic bridge in Spain crossing the Llobregat River between Martorell and Castellbisbal. The Romans built its first form around 10 BC as part of the Via Augusta, the principal Roman road linking major settlements in Hispania, between Barcino, the Roman name for Barcelona, and Tarraco, the Roman name for Tarragona. The bridge served ox carts and remained the only crossing in the lower Llobregat valley until the fourteenth century.
Roman origins and medieval rebuilding
The original Roman bridge was about 130 metres long and had a broad, almost level roadway supported by a central pier in the riverbed. The river later carried away that pier, destroying the bridge. A reconstruction is recorded in 1143, marking an early medieval effort to restore this important crossing.
A new Gothic rebuilding began in 1283 under Bernat Sellés and was completed around 1295. This bridge was narrower than its Roman predecessor and could no longer accommodate wheeled traffic. It nevertheless suited the pack-animal transport widely used during the Middle Ages, allowing the crossing to continue serving movement through the valley.
Later damage and conservation
The bridge was restored in 1768 by the military engineer Juan Martín Cermeño. In January 1939, during the Spanish Civil War, retreating Republican troops destroyed its central arch. Reconstruction followed in 1963 and largely preserved the Gothic form created by the medieval rebuilding. The bridge remained closed for reconstruction from 1939 to 1965.
Today, Pont del Diable is restricted to pedestrians and carries a pedestrian path. Its conservation and management depend on the Vicenç Ros Municipal Museum. The Roman triumphal arch at the eastern abutment, a monumental gateway or commemorative arch, was declared an architectural-artistic monument in 1925. The bridge also holds the status of a nationally protected cultural monument in Spain.
A local legend gives the bridge its name by attributing its construction to the Devil. In the story, he promised to build it in a single night in exchange for the soul of the first person to cross. The Devil was deceived when an animal crossed first, identified in different versions as either a black cat or a rooster.
Remains
Gothic bridge
The present structure is a stone Gothic-style arch bridge spanning the Llobregat. Its large pointed central arch rises to an apex rather than forming a semicircle, and the bridge reaches approximately 21 metres in height. The principal arch has a clear span of about 37.3 metres, while the secondary arch spans about 19.1 metres. A stone chapel stands above the main arch. The surviving bridge is a reconstruction from 1963 that retains the form of the medieval rebuilding, including its pedestrian-scale roadway. It lies between modern road flyovers and railway lines on three sides.
Roman remains
The earlier Roman bridge survives through its abutments, the end supports of a bridge, which were built from large stone blocks. Inscriptions associated with these remains record the involvement of Legio X Gemina, Legio IV Macedonica, and Legio VI Victrix. The number of spans in the original Roman bridge is unknown. At the eastern abutment, a Roman triumphal arch still marks the approach to the crossing and preserves a monumental element of the bridge’s ancient setting.
