El Pont Vell (The old bridge)

The Old Bridge

In 2008, under the Works to improve the access to El Port de la Selva, at the southern side of the town, so coming from the road to Cadaqués, a roundabout was built and the area of the Old Bridge was intervened.

The Old Bridge is in a very good state of preservation. The intervention consisted of lower the amount of soil brought by the creek that were covering the lower part of the bridge, the consolidation of some stones and the encirclement with wooden handrails to protect and make the Old Bridge stand out. Only one previous intervention is known, it was a consolidation of loose stones in 1982 by the town council.

The arch of the bridge is segmental, made of long narrow stones from the country. It was built with centering, with reed mesh and stones. The handrails have flat slabs on the upper part. The ground part of the bridge is made of flat slabs at both entrances, and big and irregular stones on the rest of the bridge.

The Old Bridge can be found on the old road that linked Selva de Mar to the path that climbed to the Costa de l'Oratori, towards the country houses at the mountain of Sant Baldiri and reached Cadaqués. It crossed over the Rubiés creek until it changed its course and the bridge was no longer used.

The origin of this bridge is unknown. By its architecture and location, it is categorised as from the middle ages. J. Badia i Homs date it between XV and XVII century.  Josep Mallol i Oriol talks about it in “Monuments to our moutains", 1996 and says that it was built with no authorisation of the abbot of the monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes, because of the difficulties to cross through swampy terrain.

Location

Leaving the town in direction to Cadaqués, at the end of the avenue Doctor Moisès Broggi, there is a roundabout. At its right, The Old Bridge can be found.