Cordoba Roman Bridge

Built by the Romans in the 1st century BC, the Roman Bridge of Cordoba, Spain, as described in around 1140 by Arab geographer Muhammad al-Idrisi, “surpasses all other bridges in beauty and solidity”.

Rather than simply an object of beauty which it undoubtedly is, the bridge was a vital player in the city of Cordoba’s battles with, amongst others, the ominously-named Peter the Cruel in the 1350s.

Cordoba Roman Bridge history

Cordoba Roman Bridge was built in the 1st century BC and straddles the 657 kilometre Guadalquivir River. The bridge has 16 arches supported by irregular semi-cylindrical buttresses and is 247 metres long by approximately 9 metres wide.

At the southern end is the Torre de la Calahorra (Calahorra Tower), a fortified tower built in the 12th century by the resident Almohad Caliphate to protect the bridge and at the northern end is the Puerta del Puente (Gate of the Bridge) built over 300 years later in the 1570s.

The original bridge was probably wooden before it got replaced and it has undergone a number of reconstructions over the centuries. In the 17th century a sculpture of St. Raphael was added to the eastern side by renowned Renaissance sculptor Bernabé Gómez del Rio.

In the famous TV series Game of Thrones, the Roman Bridge of Cordoba doubled as ‘The Long Bridge of Volantis’ spanning the mouth of the Rhoyne River.

Cordoba Roman Bridge today

Today, while only the 14th and 15th arches from the northern end are original the Roman Bridge continues to form an unmissable part of Cordoba’s ancient centre – particularly at dusk when the sun lingers on the golden red stone and highlights the arches. Visitors to the historic city can walk the bridge in either direction, from the Great Mosque to the Torre de Calahorra at the south end.

Getting to Cordoba Roman Bridge

Located in Cordoba’s historic centre, the 03 and 12 buses stop at the Puerta del Puente at the north end of the bridge while the 12 and 14 stop at the south.