The Roman Bridge of Cordoba

The Roman Bridge (Puente Romano) of Cordoba © Michelle Chaplow
The Roman Bridge (Puente Romano) of Cordoba © Michelle Chaplow

Roman Bridge of Cordoba

You can walk over the Roman bridge in either direction. It is close to the great Mosque and leads to Torre de Calahorra at south end.

The Roman bridge which, according to the Arab geographer, Al-drisi 'surpasses all other bridges in beauty and solidity', reflects little of its Roman roots, owing to frequent reconstruction over many decades. In the centre of the eastern side's stone handrails there is a little shrine to St Raphael, at whose feet the devout burn candles.

It is, of course, unlikely that much of the original structure stands. The present structure is a medieval reconstruction, though the 19th-century cobbled paving does give a Roman feel. There is an irregular pattern to the 16 arches in size and abutment protections.

There are good views of bridge and the river from south bank. There is usually ample parking Avenida Fray Albino. Visitors from the south may well consider parking here and walking over the Roman Bridge passing Bridge Gate and entering the old town at the back of the Mosque.

The Roman bridge which, according to the Arab geographer, Al-drisi 'surpasses all other bridges in beauty and solidity' © Michelle Chaplow
The Roman bridge which, according to the Arab geographer, Al-drisi 'surpasses all other bridges in beauty and solidity'

GAME OF THRONES

The Roman Bridge was featured in Season 5 of Game of Thrones, the hugely popular HBO TV series, set in a fantastical land of Seven Kingdoms. Enhanced by CGI, the ancient structure becomes the Long Bridge of Volantis.

We see a stunning aerial shot of the bridge in Episode 3, first shown in April 2015 - Tyrion Lannister and Varys, the Court fixer, are on their way from Pentos to Meereen (another Andalucian location: Osuna). Tyrion has been travelling inside a carriage for days, to keep his identity hidden (he's a wanted man), and wants to get out. The two men walk across the bridge, which is crammed with ramshackle buildings - they come upon houses, shops, a preaching priestess and then a brothel (Tyrion's preferred pastime).

The acting was all shot in the studio and the actors may not have even visited the bridge. A production team oversaw a drone which took a series of aerial sequences to be used as the base for the computer graphics seen in the final production. See the clip from Game of Thrones Season 5 Episode 3, High Sparrow, here.

Cordoba Roman Bridge and Volantis
The Roman Bridge, Cordoba today (above) and computer generated Volantis in GOT (below).

 

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