Besalú Bridge

Besalú Bridge, in the town of Besalú in Girona province, Catalonia, is the medieval crossing over the Fluvià River that has become the defining image of this small Catalan town.

What does the bridge look like, and why is it bent?

The bridge rests on seven unequal stone arches, arranged in two sections that meet at an angle rather than forming a single straight span. That bend was deliberate: it let builders follow the natural course of the Fluvià River while giving defenders a clear line of sight along the crossing. The bridge runs about 44 metres in length. At its narrowest point, roughly the middle, stood a gate tower where tolls were once collected from anyone entering the town.

When was the bridge built?

The earliest documentary record of a bridge at this site dates to 1075, and the structure most associated with the town's Romanesque character took shape around 1130. In 1315, King James II of Aragon granted Besalú permission to build a new bridge and to charge tolls on it, and construction began the following year, reusing parts of the older Romanesque structure. The design is credited to Pere Baró, a master builder from Perpignan, reflecting the cross-border network of craftsmen active in this part of Catalonia at the time.

Why did the bridge matter for the town's defense?

In the Middle Ages, Besalú was the seat of its own county, and the bridge functioned as the controlled entry point into the town from across the river. Its fortified gate tower let guards monitor traffic and close the crossing if needed, making the bridge part of the town's defensive perimeter rather than a simple river crossing.

What happened to the bridge during the Spanish Civil War?

Two of the bridge's arches were destroyed in 1939, during the final stages of the Spanish Civil War. The damaged sections were rebuilt in the 1960s, with restorers relying on historical descriptions and illustrations of the bridge to reconstruct its medieval appearance as closely as possible. As a result, today's bridge combines genuine medieval fabric with a carefully researched twentieth-century reconstruction.

What else is worth seeing near the bridge?

The bridge is the natural gateway into Besalú's old town and its most photographed spot, especially viewed from the riverbank, where the angled line of arches stands out against the town walls behind it. From the bridge itself, the view opens onto the Fluvià River and the compact historic centre beyond it, including the Collegiate Church of Santa Maria and the remains of the town's medieval Jewish quarter, with its preserved ritual bath (mikveh).

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you drive across the Besalú Bridge? No. The bridge is pedestrian-only and serves as the main entrance into the historic town centre, closed to car traffic.

How many arches does the bridge have? Seven unequal arches, arranged in two angled sections rather than a single straight line.

Why is the bridge bent instead of straight? The shape follows the natural curve of the Fluvià River and also served a defensive purpose, giving guards a clearer view along the crossing.

Is the current bridge original or rebuilt? It combines medieval elements, including fourteenth-century foundations and arches, with a 1960s reconstruction of the sections destroyed in 1939, based on historical sources.