Versão portuguesa aqui.

GPS 41.73828060771949, -7.467032906444714

The Roman Bridge of Chaves, also referred to as Ponte de Trajano, is located over the river Tâmega, in the city of Chaves, district of Vila Real, in Portugal.

It has been classified as a National Monument since 1910.

History

It is a Roman bridge, built between the end of the 1st century and the beginning of the 2nd. Along with the development of the thermal baths, it constitutes one of the best Roman legacies of ancient Águas Flávias, which prevails to this day, resisting historic floods and the strong currents of the river.

With approximately one hundred and a half meters in length and a dozen visible arches, the works carried out in the 1930s covered some of the arches and others still buried in the construction of the houses implanted there and overlooking the river.

In 2008 it became a pedestrian bridge.

On September 13, 2020, a local referendum was held on reopening the bridge to car traffic. The referendum had a single question with a “yes” or “no” answer, namely: “Do you agree with the reopening of the Roman bridge of Chaves to the transit of light motor vehicles, in a single direction?”. The population of Chaves voted against reopening the bridge to car traffic and the 'no' obtained more than 85% of the votes.

The two columns

Even today, the Latin inscriptions can be read on the two columns, upstream and downstream of the Roman bridge. The first prayer:

"IMPERING CESAR NERVA TRAJANO AUGUST GERMANIC DACIUS, MAXIMUM PONTIFICE, WITH TRIBUNIC POWER, CONSUL FOR THE 5TH TIME, FATHER OF THE FATHERLAND, THE AQUIFLAVIENSI TRIED TO MAKE THIS STONE BRIDGE AT THEIR EXPENSE"

And the second:

"IMPERORING CESAR VESPASIAN AUGUST, PONTIFICE Maximus, TENTH TIME TRIBUNIAL POWER, TWENTIETH EMPERATOR, FATHER OF THE FATHERLAND, NINTH TIME CONSULT, EMPERORING ALSO TITUS VESPASIANUS CAESAR, SON OF THE AUGUST, PONTIFICE, EIGHTH TIME TRIBUNIC POWER, EMPEROR WORSHIP FOURTEENTH, CONSULT TO SEPTIUM (…) BEING A LEGACY OF AUGUST THE PROPRETOR CAIO CALPETANO RÂNCIO QUERINAL VALÉRIO FESTO AND BEING A LEGACY OF AUGUST IN THE LEGION SEPTIUM, DECIO CORNÉLIO MECIANO AND ATTORNEY OF THE SAME AUGUST, LÚCIO ARRÚNCIO MAXIMO, THE LEGION SEPTIMO GEM INA HAPPY AND TEN CITIES, TO KNOW: THE AQUIFLAVIENSES, THE AROBRIGENSES, THE BIBULIANS, THE COELERNS, THE EQUESIANS, THE INTERAMICS, THE LIMICS, THE NEBISOCOS, THE QUARQUERNS AND THE TAMAGANS (...)"

Currently, both patterns are believed to be reproductions.

Standard of Peoples

A third column was discovered on August 27, 1980 in the riverbed, upstream and next to the Roman bridge. Currently on display at the Museum of the Flaviense Region, it was called the "Standard of the Peoples", and exalts the ten cities or peoples of the "Bracar convent":

Aquiflavienses, Arobrigenses, Bibalos, Celernos, Equesos, Interamics, Limicos, Ebisocos, Quaquernos and Tamaganos (built this monument) to Emperor Caesar Vespasian Augustus, Pontiff Maximus, with tribunician power for the tenth time, acclaimed emperor for the twentieth time, father of the Fatherland and Consul for the ninth time, to Emperor (Titus) Vespasian Caesar, son of Augustus, Pontiff, with tribunician power for the eighth time, acclaimed Emperor for the tenth time [and to Domitian Caesar, son of Augustus, Consul for the sixth time], to Gaius Calpetano Râncio Quirinal Valério Festus, legate propraetor of Augustus, to Decimus Cornelius Mecianus, legate of Augustus, Lucius Arruntius Maximus, procurator of Augustus, and Legio VII Gemina Felix.

Versão portuguesa aqui.

GPS 41.73828060771949, -7.467032906444714

The Roman Bridge of Chaves, also referred to as Ponte de Trajano, is located over the river Tâmega, in the city of Chaves, district of Vila Real, in Portugal.

It has been classified as a National Monument since 1910.

History

It is a Roman bridge, built between the end of the 1st century and the beginning of the 2nd. Along with the development of the thermal baths, it constitutes one of the best Roman legacies of ancient Águas Flávias, which prevails to this day, resisting historic floods and the strong currents of the river.

With approximately one hundred and a half meters in length and a dozen visible arches, the works carried out in the 1930s covered some of the arches and others still buried in the construction of the houses implanted there and overlooking the river.

In 2008 it became a pedestrian bridge.

On September 13, 2020, a local referendum was held on reopening the bridge to car traffic. The referendum had a single question with a “yes” or “no” answer, namely: “Do you agree with the reopening of the Roman bridge of Chaves to the transit of light motor vehicles, in a single direction?”. The population of Chaves voted against reopening the bridge to car traffic and the 'no' obtained more than 85% of the votes.

The two columns

Even today, the Latin inscriptions can be read on the two columns, upstream and downstream of the Roman bridge. The first prayer:

"IMPERING CESAR NERVA TRAJANO AUGUST GERMANIC DACIUS, MAXIMUM PONTIFICE, WITH TRIBUNIC POWER, CONSUL FOR THE 5TH TIME, FATHER OF THE FATHERLAND, THE AQUIFLAVIENSI TRIED TO MAKE THIS STONE BRIDGE AT THEIR EXPENSE"

And the second:

"IMPERORING CESAR VESPASIAN AUGUST, PONTIFICE Maximus, TENTH TIME TRIBUNIAL POWER, TWENTIETH EMPERATOR, FATHER OF THE FATHERLAND, NINTH TIME CONSULT, EMPERORING ALSO TITUS VESPASIANUS CAESAR, SON OF THE AUGUST, PONTIFICE, EIGHTH TIME TRIBUNIC POWER, EMPEROR WORSHIP FOURTEENTH, CONSULT TO SEPTIUM (…) BEING A LEGACY OF AUGUST THE PROPRETOR CAIO CALPETANO RÂNCIO QUERINAL VALÉRIO FESTO AND BEING A LEGACY OF AUGUST IN THE LEGION SEPTIUM, DECIO CORNÉLIO MECIANO AND ATTORNEY OF THE SAME AUGUST, LÚCIO ARRÚNCIO MAXIMO, THE LEGION SEPTIMO GEM INA HAPPY AND TEN CITIES, TO KNOW: THE AQUIFLAVIENSES, THE AROBRIGENSES, THE BIBULIANS, THE COELERNS, THE EQUESIANS, THE INTERAMICS, THE LIMICS, THE NEBISOCOS, THE QUARQUERNS AND THE TAMAGANS (...)"

Currently, both patterns are believed to be reproductions.

Standard of Peoples

A third column was discovered on August 27, 1980 in the riverbed, upstream and next to the Roman bridge. Currently on display at the Museum of the Flaviense Region, it was called the "Standard of the Peoples", and exalts the ten cities or peoples of the "Bracar convent":

Aquiflavienses, Arobrigenses, Bibalos, Celernos, Equesos, Interamics, Limicos, Ebisocos, Quaquernos and Tamaganos (built this monument) to Emperor Caesar Vespasian Augustus, Pontiff Maximus, with tribunician power for the tenth time, acclaimed emperor for the twentieth time, father of the Fatherland and Consul for the ninth time, to Emperor (Titus) Vespasian Caesar, son of Augustus, Pontiff, with tribunician power for the eighth time, acclaimed Emperor for the tenth time [and to Domitian Caesar, son of Augustus, Consul for the sixth time], to Gaius Calpetano Râncio Quirinal Valério Festus, legate propraetor of Augustus, to Decimus Cornelius Mecianus, legate of Augustus, Lucius Arruntius Maximus, procurator of Augustus, and Legio VII Gemina Felix.