Medieval bridge unearthed during Porto's Pink Line metro project
For some time now, the construction of a new metro line, the Pink Line, has been underway in Porto. During the work, builders and archaeologists encountered surprising elements of some structures. As it later turned out, they had stumbled upon the ruins of a medieval bridge from the 13th century.
The ruins of a medieval bridge were discovered in the centre of Porto, a city in the northwest of Portugal. The discovery surprised the archaeologists at the construction of the new metro line, the so-called Pink Line.
The archaeologists informed in a press release that the bridge dates back to the 13th century.
"During the work on the Vila river, at the intersection of Rua Mouzinho da Silveira and Largo de São Domingos, we found a medieval bridge from the late 13th century with a degree of preservation that nobody expected," they said in a statement.
The bridge was quite a treat for archaeologists. The structure stood over the Vila River, a tributary of the Douro River. During the medieval period, most of the city's waste was disposed of in this river.
Surprising discovery during metro construction in Porto
Engineer Pedro Le Costa, overseeing the construction of the new metro line, explained in an interview with the media that neither the city authorities nor historians were aware of the existence of a medieval bridge on the Vila River.
He also added that the ongoing excavations have revealed a stone bridge structure at least 16 feet long and 7 feet wide. Elements of the structure have been extracted and temporarily transported to one of the warehouses owned by the company operating the metro in Porto.
Le Costa added that the metro authorities and the city hall in Porto have already started discussions regarding placing this unexpected find, preserved in a very good condition in one of the city's exhibition sites.
