Talavera de la Reina, a picturesque town in the Spanish autonomous community of Castilla-La Mancha, is experiencing difficult times. Powerful flooding on the Tajo River led to the partial collapse of one of the town’s most important monuments on Saturday night – the historic El Puente Viejo Bridge, also known as the Saint Catherine Bridge.
El Puente Viejo (the old bridge), although commonly referred to as the ‘Roman bridge’, in its current form dates mainly from the late 15th century. Its roots actually go back to Roman times, however, and it has been rebuilt many times over the following centuries. Known for its pointed spans and distinctive curvature, the bridge is not only an important piece of infrastructure, but above all a symbol of Talavera’s history. The threat to the structure had been growing for hours. Local authorities tracked the rising water level in the Tajo River, which at its climax reached 1,000 cubic metres per second. The decision to close the bridge was made even before the tragedy, which probably prevented human casualties. Unfortunately, the bridge itself did not survive the onslaught of the elements.
RafaelPQ, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
“This is a sad day for Talavera,” – said the city’s mayor, José Julián Gregorio, and announced that the monument would be rebuilt. On social media, he called the event a “huge blow” to the city’s cultural heritage. Residents woke up on Sunday morning, learning of the disaster with disbelief and grief. News of the tragedy quickly spread through the region. The leader of the Popular Party of Castilla-La Mancha, Paco Núñez, expressed his sympathy, calling the destruction of the bridge a “painful loss”. On social media, residents shared memories associated with the bridge – childhood walks and family trips to the river.
In February 2021, an application was submitted to declare the bridge a heritage asset. Finally, on 25 May 2021, the El Puente Viejo bridge was granted the status of a Site of Cultural Interest with the category of Monument. This decision was published in the Official Gazette of Castilla-La Mancha, which only underlines the historical and cultural importance of the structure. The catastrophic rainfall that has hit the region is believed to be the heaviest in 135 years. Hundreds of people have been evacuated in the province of Toledo and a state of emergency has been declared in Avila. Although water levels have begun to fall, meteorologists warn that melting snow in the mountains could raise river levels again.
Esta noche es un día terrible para la historia de Talavera. Nuestro puente viejo o “romano” acaba de derrumbarse una parte. Una avenida de agua terrible para la ciudad. Gracias que lo cerramos para el paso ciudadano Hoy mi corazón como alcalde sufre por esta pérdida patrimonial pic.twitter.com/Un0t9LIRRD
– José Julián Gregorio (@Julianjotable) March 23, 2025
Source: euroweeklynews.com, tvp.info
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