Puente Romano
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Why go
- Original Roman construction survives chiefly in the section nearest Salamanca.
- The bridge carried the Vía de la Plata, the historic road linking Mérida and Astorga.
- The bridge and a stone bull appear together on Salamanca’s coat of arms.
Opening hours
Today00:00 – 23:59Show all
Don't miss
- Verraco del PuenteThis headless granite bull sculpture comes from the pre-Roman Vettones people. Its presence beside the bridge is documented from the 13th century.At the city-centre entrance to the bridge
Know before you go
- Open 24 hours every day.
- Pedestrian access only.
Tips for your visit
- Start on the Salamanca side, on the right bank of the Tormes, to encounter the Roman section first.
Interesting facts2
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201 metres
The Roman section is about 201 metres long and just under six metres wide.
Puente romano de Salamanca - Wikipedia -
The Roman section uses granite from Los Santos near Béjar; the newer section uses stone from Ledesma.
Roman bridge of Salamanca - Wikipedia
Shorts
History
The bridge appears in the opening of Lazarillo de Tormes and as the setting for Miguel de Unamuno’s 1914 novel Niebla. Anton Van den Wyngaerde painted it in 1570; David Roberts depicted it in 1837 and Gustave Doré in 1862.
- Roman periodThe exact construction date is uncertain; one dating places it between the reigns of Augustus and Vespasian, approximately 27 BCE–79 CE.
- 12th centuryThe earliest written information about the bridge dates from this century.
- 1256Flood damage left the southern side impassable.
- 26 January 1626The San Policarpo flood destroyed two medieval arches; the Roman section survived.
- 1627Repairs removed the central tower and battlements.
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- 1767Repairs left the bridge with fifteen Roman arches and eleven modern arches.
- 21 July 1812Wellington captured the bridge the day before the Battle of Salamanca.
- 1891A proposal to widen the bridge for automobiles was made; a parallel bridge was later chosen to preserve the old structure.
- 22 October 1913The parallel Enrique Estevan iron bridge opened.
- 1931The bridge was declared an Artistic Historic Monument.
- 1973Heavy traffic ended and the bridge became exclusively pedestrian.
- 1998It received Bien de Interés Cultural recognition.
Sources: Roman bridge of Salamanca - Wikipedia · OLXTOTO x THEZEROWASTER - Implementasi Trik Ban… · Puente romano de Salamanca - Wikipedia · Pont romain de Salamanque - Wikipedia · Puente Romano: description (its own site) · checked 10 Oct 2026
Questions and answers
Does Puente Romano have another name?
It is also traditionally called Puente Mayor or Puente Principal.
Who built Puente Romano?
Its original builder is uncertain. Popular tradition credited Hercules with building it and Trajan with rebuilding it.
Was Puente Romano once Salamanca’s only bridge?
It was the only bridge giving access to the city until the early 20th century.
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