The Covered Bridge (, ''Pokrit most'') is, as the name suggests, a

covered bridge A covered bridge is a timber-truss bridge with a roof, decking, and siding, which in most covered bridges create an almost complete enclosure. The purpose of the covering is to protect the wooden structural members from the weather. Uncovered woo ...

in the town of

Lovech Lovech ( bg, Ловеч, Lovech, ) is a List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, city in north-central Bulgaria. It is the administrative centre of the Lovech Province and of the subordinate Lovech Municipality. The city is located about northeast f ...

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...

. It has also been termed Osam Bridge. The bridge crosses the Osam River, connecting the old (''Varоsha'') and new town parts of Lovech, being possibly the most recognisable symbol of the town. The bridge is one of the few remaining in Europe that have shops on them. Other examples include the

Krämerbrücke The Krämerbrücke (; Merchants' bridge) is a medieval arch bridge in the city of Erfurt, in Thuringia, central Germany, which is lined with half-timbered shops and houses on both sides of a cobblestone street. It is one of the few remaining bri ...

in Erfurt and the

Ponte Vecchio The Ponte Vecchio ("Old Bridge", ) is a Middle Ages, medieval stone closed-spandrel Circular segment, segmental arch bridge over the Arno River, in Florence, Italy, Florence, Italy. The only bridge in Florence spared from destruction during the ...

in Florence. Lovech-original-bridge-of-Kolyu-Ficheto

After the bridge that then served the town was almost completely destroyed by a flood in 1872, the local

police chief The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and ...

ordered the famous Bulgarian master builder

Kolyu Ficheto Nikola Fichev ( bg, Никола Фичев) (1800 Direnova, Ottoman Empire - 1881 Veliko Tarnovo, Principality of Bulgaria), commonly known as Kolyo Ficheto ( bg, Колю Фичето) or with his Turkish honorific Usta (Master) Kolyo Ficheto, ...

to construct a new one. Ficheto personally chose the material for the wooden bridge. Each citizen of Lovech contributed to the building process, the poorer ones working themselves and the wealthier donating money and paying other workers. Building finished in 1874. The bridge was decorated by four sculpture figures, a lion, a two-headed eagle, female bust, and a stick with a mace. The lion figure can be found on the bridge today. The initial bridge had a length of 84 m and 6 vents and accommodated 64 shops. It was, however, wholly destroyed by fire on the night of 2 to 3 August 1925. A more modern bridge was constructed at its place in 1931 only to be replaced by a reconstruction of Kolyu Ficheto's design in 1981–82. The current bridge is 106 m long and has 14 shops, the architect being Zlatev.

References

{{Authority control Bridges completed in 1874 Buildings and structures in Lovech Bridges with buildings Bridges in Bulgaria

Wooden bridges Footbridges