A drought in southern Spain has revealed this stunning 16th-century arch bridge that is usually submerged by water in a reservoir.
The renaissance Bridge of Ariza is located in reservoir Giribaile in the province of Jaen in the southern Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia.
It was built between 1550 and 1560 and was designed by the architect Andres de Vandelvira who also designed the Jaen Cathedral and was mainly active during the Renaissance.
The Jaen Cathedral is a Renaissance-style, Roman Catholic building in the heart of Jaen, capital of the province bearing the same name. It is on the Tentative List of UNESCO world heritage sites and was built on the ruins of a mosque.
Work on the bridge was financed by the Bishop of Jaen Diego de los Cobos Molina and it was intended to be gateway to the town of Ubeda.
The bridge is considered culturally significant for the Andalusian region and due to its progressive deterioration the Hispania Nostra Association has placed it on the NGO’s ‘red list’.
Heritage defence groups have also repeatedly called on the local authorities to move the bridge to prevent it from further damage, according to local media.
In 1997, the Spanish government reportedly promised to move it “stone by stone” to another location, but this was never carried out.
Reports said that the renaissance bridge, which is typically submerged in reservoir, is only visible during drought periods.
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Story By: Angjela Trajkovska, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News
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