Vallcanera Bridge

When the route of the royal way, the main thoroughfare that joined Barcelona to France, passed through the modern-day town of Sils, it had to span the ditches and streams that ran down from the woodlands of Vallcanera. As such, it was necessary to build several small bridges along the course of the road. However, when it had to cross the Vallcanera River, at this point, a more considerable construction was required. Therefore, between the 13th and 14th centuries, a single-arch bridge was built over the river, supported by a round arch and spanning around 10 metres. The carriages passed over the bridge in two directions. It must have been about 4 metres wide and had stone balustrades along the sides. The bridge was built from basalts that were abundant around the Mallorquines’ settlement, along with other materials related to lime mortar.

The bridge was in use for centuries, until the new national highway (GI-555) was built. The new road led to the bridge gradually being abandoned before it was demolished by a flood in 1971, with only the abutments on either side of the river left standing. In 1973, the rubble from the bridge was removed in case it obstructed the flow of the water or caused damage downstream. As if that were not enough, in 1990, the construction of the oil pipeline that runs underground right here led to the destruction of the abutment on the western bank.

Despite the loss of this heritage, the presence of the bridge is still kept alive in people’s memory. A photograph from 1970 reminds us of its existence, even though it was in ruins by that point.

Sils Municipal Archive: Based on previous work by Joan Llinas.