ROMAN BRIDGE OF LUCO DE JILOCA

The first of the Roman bridges over Jiloca river, which at the same time it is one of the best preserved in Aragon and well known, is located outside the small village of Luco de Jiloca (Teruel) and it is knows as Entrambasaguas bridge –“bridge between two waters (rivers)”-, so called because it was in the confluence of the Jiloca river and Pancrudo river, although the river bed of the latter has been modified. The bridge was recently restored. Roman bridge near Luco de Jiloca; view from the upstream face. (Photo: Roberto Lérida Lafarga 23/04/2008)		Roman bridge near Luco de Jiloca; view from the downstream face. (Photo: Roberto Lérida Lafarga 23/04/2008)

It is a bridge with pointed shape that belongs to a kind of bridges called “bridge of donkey back” with a big central arch and other two small arches on its sides, all of them reduced, and between them we can see asymmetrical cutwaters -small arches that unload and lighten the central weight of the bridge-, 2 metres wide and over them there are two small overflow arches with vaults; there are not preserved the parapets in the bridge. The bridge is 35 metres large, 3,40 metres wide and 5,30 metres high in its highest point; its central arch is 12,20 metres wide, the overflow arches are 1,60 metres wide and the extreme arches are 3,80 and 4,65 metres wide respectively. The cutwaters are triangular and the pilasters had not buttress. The bridge had a good construction, according to the disposition of its blocks of stones –in the technique of opus quadratum-, especially the vaults and the overflow arches. The blocks of stone, in spite of being perfectly cut, were joined with mortar.		Roman bridge near Luco de Jiloca; detail of the upstream face with the cutwaters. (Photo: Roberto Lérida Lafarga 23/04/2008)

		SOURCES: - MARTÍN, Francisco y HERRERO Fernando: “Patrimonio fluvial de Luco de Jiloca”, web del Centro de Estudios del Jiloca (http://www.xiloca.com/data/Naturaleza/Rio%20Jiloca/Pueblos/Luco.htm)