Joining the banks of the river Ovelha, the Bridge of Arco (Arch) lives up to its name. Comprising a single large round arch, it assumes itself as an impressive piece of architecture. Its deck forms a trestle, drawing on the construction of Gothic bridges.
The master masons who designed and conceived it raised its foundations in two outcrops of the banks, thus articulating a sturdier and more secure structure. Perhaps unwittingly, they eventually created an example of strength and balance.
This harmony is only disturbed when observing the intradorsum of the Bridge on the left bank, and you can notice the lag between the start up ashlars [stones] on the right bank, whose position was interrupted for the placement of a wooden rib [wooden structure that serves as the frame for the arch].
Part of a municipal and parish network of roads in the old county of Gouveia, the Bridge of Arco was a fitting representation of the model of local spans scattered throughout the Modern Age.
Location: Marco de Canaveses
