The Hradecky Bridge ( sl, Hradeckega most) is one of the first hinged bridges in the world, the first and only preserved

cast iron Cast iron is a class of iron–carbon alloys with a carbon content more than 2%. Its usefulness derives from its relatively low melting temperature. The alloy constituents affect its color when fractured: white cast iron has carbide impuriti ...

bridge in Slovenia, and one of its most highly valued technical achievements. It spans the

Ljubljanica River The Ljubljanica (), known in the Middle Ages as the ''Sava'', is a river in the southern part of the Ljubljana Basin in Slovenia. The capital of Slovenia, Ljubljana, lies on the river. The Ljubljanica rises south of the town of Vrhnika and flow ...

Ljubljana Ljubljana (also known by other historical names) is the capital and largest city of Slovenia. It is the country's cultural, educational, economic, political and administrative center. During antiquity, a Roman city called Emona stood in the ar ...

. At the time of its construction, it was praised as elegant, very modern, and economical. Because it was later used to transport the dead from the Ljubljana hospital to the mortuary, it was nicknamed the Mortuary Bridge (), but has retained its beauty and technical perfection. Throughout history, both names have persisted. Since 2011, it has been located at an extension of Hren Street () between the Krakovo Embankment () and the

Gruden Embankment Gruden is a surname, and may refer to: * Igo Gruden (1893–1948), Slovene poet * Jay Gruden (born 1967), American football coach * Jon Gruden (born 1963), American football coach * John Gruden (born 1970), American hockey player * Mirko Gruden ( ...

(), connecting the

Trnovo District The Trnovo District ( sl, Četrtna skupnost Trnovo), or simply Trnovo, is a district () of the City Municipality of Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: '' ...

and the Prule neighbourhood in the Center District. It has three articulated arches, each of them made of two parts, joined with a bolt by the principle of the

charnier arch Charnier is a French surname, and a French word for charnel house A charnel house is a vault or building where human skeletal remains are stored. They are often built near churches for depositing bones that are unearthed while digging graves ...

at the highest point of the arch. Technically, it quite surpasses the Iron Bridge in England. The elements are joined with

screw A screw and a bolt (see '' Differentiation between bolt and screw'' below) are similar types of fastener typically made of metal and characterized by a helical ridge, called a ''male thread'' (external thread). Screws and bolts are used to fa ...

s instead of wedges, and reinforcing bars and hollow elements were used instead of full pylons, which has enabled the bridge to be much lighter, but stable. The Hradecky Bridge was manufactured according to the plans of the senior engineer

Johann Hermann Johann, or Jean-Frederic, Hermann, or Herrmann, (31 December 1738 in Barr, Alsace – 4 October 1800 in Strasbourg) was a French physician and naturalist. In 1769 he was appointed professor of medicine at the School of Public Health of Strasbou ...

from Vienna at the Auersperg iron foundry in Dvor near Žužemberk, and was installed as the first cast iron bridge in Ljubljana in 1867, at the location of today's

Cobblers' Bridge The Cobblers' Bridge or the Shoemakers' Bridge ( sl, Čevljarski most or ) is a pedestrian bridge crossing the river Ljubljanica in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. It connects two major areas of medieval Ljubljana. It is decorated by two kinds ...

. It was named after the former Ljubljana mayor Johann Nepomuk Hradeczky, who had the most merit for its construction. In 1931, when the architect

Jože Plečnik Jože Plečnik () (23 January 1872 – 7 January 1957) was a Slovene architect who had a major impact on the modern architecture of Vienna, Prague and of Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, most notably by designing the iconic Triple Bridge and ...

planned the new

, he moved the Hradecky Bridge further down the Ljubljanica near the former Ljubljana mortuary in the vicinity of Zalog Street ( sl, Zaloška cesta). The original

gas lamp Gas lighting is the production of artificial light from combustion of a gaseous fuel, such as hydrogen, methane, carbon monoxide, propane, butane, acetylene, ethylene, coal gas (town gas) or natural gas. The light is produced either directly ...

s were replaced with decorative

facet Facets () are flat faces on geometric shapes. The organization of naturally occurring facets was key to early developments in crystallography, since they reflect the underlying symmetry of the crystal structure. Gemstones commonly have facets cut ...

s. In 2004, it was closed to traffic, and in 2009 a footbridge was built next to it. In 2010, it was removed from the location, renovated, and transferred to its current site in 2011. It is now used only by pedestrians and cyclists. File:Čevljarski most in stavba Jugoslovanske strokovne zveze 1925.jpg, The bridge at its original location in the center of Ljubljana, at the site of today's Cobblers' Bridge File:20-MrtvaskiMostLj.JPG, The bridge at its second location near the

Ljubljana University Medical Centre The Ljubljana University Medical Centre ( sl, Univerzitetni klinični center Ljubljana, abb. ''UKC Ljubljana'') or Ljubljana UMC is the largest hospital centre in Slovenia based in Ljubljana. It was officially opened on 29 November 1975 and has ...

. A district heating pipeline marks its appearance.

References

External links

* {{coord , 46, 2, 39.68, N, 14, 30, 20.70, E, region:SI_type:landmark, display=title Bridges in Ljubljana Bridges completed in 1867 Cast-iron arch bridges Bridges over the Ljubljanica Arch bridges in Slovenia