Puente de Piedra / Pont de pedra
The Puente de Piedra of Beceite, built between the 15th and 16th centuries, is a crucial crossing point over the Matarraña River, vital for the communication and development of the village.
History and architecture of the bridge
The Puente de Piedra of Beceite, erected between the 15th and 16th centuries, represents an essential feat of engineering that marks the first crossing of the Matarraña River from its source. With its imposing single arch and a height of approximately 15 metres, its construction was crucial for the locality.
This bridge not only facilitated transit, but also protected the population from being cut off during floods, coinciding with urban expansion and the formation of the Vilanova, Sant Roc and del Pilar neighbourhoods.
A vital crossing in the Matarraña
To this day, even after the road was built at the end of the 19th century, the Puente de Piedra retains its importance as the obligatory access route to Beceite. It is a strategic point that allows one to overcome the significant elevation gain of the river, from the Vall del Prat to the town centre.
The Matarraña River has historically been a driving force for Beceite. Beyond its use for drinking and irrigation, its flow powered the mechanisms of numerous buildings: flour mills, olive-oil mills, hydroelectric plants, martinetes and molinos papeleros, forging part of the industrial and economic identity of the area.
Did you know this about the Matarraña River and its history?
The Matarraña River rises in the Puertos de Beceite massif and travels around 100 kilometres from south to north until it flows into the Ebro River, near the town of Fayón, in the Ribarroja reservoir. In its first stretch, the Matarraña River is characterised by constant flows with a pluvial regime, and rarely experiences variations due to snowfall. This river plays a crucial role in the geography and history of the region. As a curiosity at this point, it is worth mentioning that after the Spanish Civil War, the pool beneath the bridge, known as «la Cadolla», was emptied by bucket to recover the weapons that had been thrown into it during the War, in order to make use of the iron they contained.
Matarraña · Tourism
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