The ''Puente Nuevo'' (, "New Bridge") is the newest and largest of three bridges that span the

chasm In geology, a rift is a linear zone where the lithosphere is being pulled apart and is an example of extensional tectonics. Typical rift features are a central linear downfaulted depression, called a graben, or more commonly a half-graben wi ...

that carries the

Guadalevín The Guadalevín is a tributary of the river Guadiaro in Málaga, Andalusia, Spain. Its gorge divides the city of Ronda where it is spanned by three bridges, '' Puente Nuevo'', '' Puente Viejo'' and ''Puente Romano''. The following is a translati ...

River and divides the city of

Ronda Ronda () is a town in the Spanish province of Málaga. It is located about west of the city of Málaga, within the autonomous community of Andalusia. Its population is about 35,000. Ronda is known for its cliff-side location and a deep chasm ...

, in southern Spain. Completed in 1793, the architect was José Martin de Aldehuela and the chief builder was Juan Antonio Díaz Machuca. The construction of the newest bridge (the one standing as of 2017) was started in 1759 and took 34 years. There is a chamber above the central arch that was used for a variety of purposes, including as a prison. During the 1936–1939

civil war A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

both sides allegedly used the prison as a torture chamber for captured opponents, killing some by throwing them from the windows to the rocks at the bottom of the El Tajo gorge.Thomas (1961). p. 176. The chamber is entered through a square building that was once the guard-house. It now contains an exhibition describing the bridge's history and construction. Construction of the previous bridge started in 1735; this was the first attempt to span the gorge at this height. The architects Jose Garcia and Juan Camacho completed the bridge with a single arch design. This bridge was quickly and poorly built; the entire bridge collapsed in 1741, killing 50 people. File:Bridge_at_Ronda,_Spain.jpg File:%22Puente_Nuevo%22_de_Ronda.jpg File:Ronda Spain Puente-Nuevo-de-Ronda-01.jpg File:El_Tajo_de_Ronda_(1).jpg File:Puente Nuevo in Ronda.jpg

References

External links

Ronda Today
English language tourist Information about Ronda and surrounding areas. Nuevo Nuevo Road bridges in Spain 1793 establishments in Spain {{Spain-bridge-struct-stub

See also

References

External links