Ponte da Cava da Velha

The Bridge of Cava da Velha (Portuguese: Ponte Velha/Ponte da Cava da Velha) is a Roman bridge, situated in the civil parish of Castro Laboreiro e Lamas de Mouro, in the municipality of Melgaço in northern Portuguese district of Viana do Castelo [1]. The bridge was largely constructed in the 1st century, but does not appear in the two most comprehensive lists of Roman bridges [1]. During the Middle Ages, the bridge was reconstructed to take on its current form [1]. The bridge is situated in an isolated, rural area within the Nature Park of Peneda do Gerês, 110 metres east of the municipal roadway over the River Laboreiro, 3 kilometres from Castro Laboreiro [1]. Between the arches are prismatic starling upstream, and rectangular buttresses downstream [1].