Ponte do Abade
The Pessegueiro Bridge (also known as the Abbot Santiago Bridge, because it was commissioned by Abbot Dias Santiago) is located in the parish of Pessegueiro do Vouga in Sever do Vouga.
It was built in the early 19th century, in the Baroque style, in stone. It has 3 arches; 1 larger one in the centre and 2 smaller ones, one on each side of the larger arch. All of them are perfectly round. It is the only car and pedestrian bridge linking the two banks of the River Vouga and it is here that the N16 (EN 16) road passes.
The EN16 links Aveiro (on the coast) to Vilar Formoso (inland). Despite its long life, the Pessegueiro Bridge is still the only crossing here. A few hundred metres away, on the left bank of the river, there is a river beach.
Since the 13th century, Paradela belonged to the parish of Pessegueiro do Vouga and the river was crossed by boats carrying both the faithful and the dead. When the flow was too high, the passage between the two banks was blocked.
So Abbot S. Tiago erected the bridge, made of granite stonework, with three arches and a height of around 13 metres. The centre arch is 17.80 metres long and the side arches are 9.80 metres long and 7.80 metres long. The bridge is 64.20 metres long and 6.50 metres wide.
The precise date of construction is unknown, but it was probably between 1807 and 1827, when St James was parish priest of Pessegueiro do Vouga (Pecegueiro at the time).
"Father S. Tiago...set aside the sum of 8,000 cruzados for the construction of a bridge to suppress the ferries, having obtained that the granite blocks from the Talhadas quarries be transported free of charge by the farmers...", pp. 93 and 94 of vol. XXIII of Arquivo do Distrito de Aveiro, 1957 - Tavares, António Henriques, "As pontes do Abade e do Poço de S. Tiago".
