“Tonight is a terrible day for the history of Talavera. Our old or ‘Roman’ bridge ‘has just collapsed.”
The mayor of Talavera de la Reina José Julián Gregorio published at dawn on his social networks that an avenue on the Tajo river had taken the infrastructure ahead. Hours before, during a visit to the riverbank, together with the Government Delegate, Milagros Tolón, and the Director General of Civil Protection and Emergencies of the Ministry of Interior, Virginia Barcones, had warned that the flow already reached 1,000 m3 per second.
Hours later, the mayor confirmed that part of the bridge had been destroyed and congratulated himself from having closed it to the public.
“Much encouragement to Talavera de Reina. Without a doubt it is a painful loss for the city and its history. The concern is maximum right now. I maintain permanent contact with the mayor to whom all our support and collaboration for him and his neighbors transmitted,” published later the president of the PP Castellanomanchego, Paco Nuñez, also via social networks.
The ‘Roman’ Bridge of Talavera or Santa Catalina Puente is the oldest in the city. Of Roman origin, the current construction was undertaken at the end of the fifteenth century under the direction of Fray Pedro de los Molinos, maintaining, more or less, the same aspect as today, according to the Talavera Tourism website of La Reina.
This bridge has been rebuilt several times. Precisely, the most primitive part, of Roman origin, is below the water level, and corresponds to the foundations of the first section. This old bridge was still in a straight line to the island in front of the edge of the city. Around the thirteenth century the layout was due to vary with that characteristic bankruptcy, and some eyes with propped arches were built.
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