Bridge of Veiga - Rota do Românico
SCHEDULE A VISIT

A single-arch stone Bridge, slightly broken, with voussoirs [stones forming the arch], narrow and long, while showing traces of masonry, it constitutes an example of a Gothic crossing, whose construction period would fall within the first half of the 15th century.

Located in the village of Torno (Lousada), once the patronage of the Monastery of Pombeiro (Felgueiras) and at the centre of an agricultural region heavily exploited during the Middle Ages (as bears witness the toponym Veiga [tilled plain]), it is likely that its construction was conducted by the abbots of that Monastery, intended to ensure the local or regional traffic over the river Sousa.

This was the ancient route followed from the old sanctuary of Our Lady of Aparecida leading to Unhão, the municipality of which this Bridge was a part until the 19th century and which currently forms one of the parishes of the present-day municipality of Felgueiras.

More than a symbol of national or trans-regional routes, often associated with pilgrimage routes, the Bridge of Veiga falls in the category of municipal or parish crossing, serving feudal, secular or ecclesiastical interests, and ensuring the circulation and flow between the valleys of the still small river Sousa.


Type: Bridge

Route: Sousa Valley

1427 - Fleeing the plague, Friar Amaro - the commander of Pombeiro - takes refuge in São Fins de Torno, which was the abbey's church;

15th century (1st half) - Construction of the Bridge of Veiga;

17th-18th centuries - Conduction of conservation and strengthening works;

1726 - Francisco Craesbeeck mentions the existence of parapets on the Bridge;

1758 - The Vicar of Torno, Félix Borges, points out that within the limits of his parish there was only one masonry Bridge, which had a single arch;

20th century - Subject to motor-vehicle traffic, the Bridge of Veiga degrades and is replaced by a concrete pontoon;

2010 - Integration of the Bridge of Veiga in the Route of the Romanesque.

Free

Monument fully or partly accessible to visitors with reduced mobility.

+351 255 810 706

+351 918 116 488

visitasrr@valsousa.pt

How to get here:

41.299365, -8.217653

Rua da Ponte da Veiga, Torno, Lousada, Porto

Northren Portugal: A28/A3/A7/A24 » A11 » A42 (Felgueiras) » Varziela » Caíde » Rota do Românico/Ponte da Veiga.

Porto: A3 » A41 » A42 » A11 (Felgueiras) » A42 (Felgueiras) » Varziela/Caíde. Rota do Românico/Ponte da Veiga.

Central/Southern Portugal: A1 (Porto) A29 (V.N. Gaia) » A41 CREP. » A4 (Vila Real) » A11 (Felgueiras) » Lixa/Caíde » Caíde de Rei, Rota do Românico/Ponte da Veiga.

Lousada: N207 Felgueiras» Aparecida » N207-2 Felgueiras » Rota do Românico/Ponte da Veiga

Cookies settings
The Route of the Romanesque uses cookies to improve your browsing experience, security and its website performance. The Route of the Romanesque may also use cookies to share information on social media and location, to present search results that are more relevant to the user.