The characteristics of the bridge are medieval, and it is known as the old bridge to differentiate it from the new bridge built in the fourteenth century. This bridge, as can be seen from its current structure, is a complex creation, the product of being destroyed and rebuilt many times, all of which added up to make it what it is today. The fact that it was declared a national heritage monument in 1931 did not prevent it from being destroyed by the Republican forces on 24 January 1939, which made it necessary to radically restore it in the years 1960 to 1962. Its shape is like a donkey’s back, in the Romanesque architectural style with eight arches, the two largest in the centre and then becoming smaller as the bridge runs down to both sides of the river. Many historians have considered the bridge’s origins to be Roman, based on the remains of the left of centre arch, river downside, and the foundations attributed to a bridge erected in the second half of the tenth century. The reconstruction was carried out under the General Board of Architecture, with a project led by Pons i Sorolla, who was also responsible for reconstructing a cross next to the bridge.

Practical information

A bridge built over the river Cardener at the entrance into Manresa on the road in from Barcelona, in the shadow of the Cova buildings.