Collaborate
Bridges
Ouro Preto, Vila Rica, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Equipment and Infrastructures
Ouro Preto has nine old bridges. Six of them were listed by IPHAN in 1950, along with the fountains. Almost all have stone parapet walls with a central cross and side benches, sometimes forming semi-circles that afford more space for the passage of pedestrians. The bridge known as the Ponte dos Contos, or the Ponte de São José, is situated next to the Casa dos Contos, over the stream of Córrego do Ouro Preto. Its construction dates from 1744 and was contracted to António Leite Esquerdo. It is made of stone blocks and has two thick walls interconnected by a semicircular arch. The parapet wall, also made of stone, has a side bench and is embellished with a central cross and eight pinnacles – on one of which is the date 1715 and on another 1892. The Ponte do Pilar is located in Rua do Pilar, or Rua das Caldeiras, and also spans the Córrego do Ouro Preto. It is made of stone with a single depressed arch and two parallel parapet walls that serve as benches and a central cross made of stone (with the symbol of death on the pedestal). It was built by the stonemason Francisco Esteves, who was awarded the construction contract in 1756. The Ponte do Rosário, over the Córrego do Caquende, was built in 1753 by António da Silva Herdeiro, following a design by an unknown author and using Itacolomi stone. It is composed of two thick walls separated by a semicircular arch and has a parapet wall supported by protruding cornerstones, two benches and a central cross. The Ponte de António Dias, over the Córrego da Sobreira, is close to the Largo de Dirceu and is one of the largest bridges in the city. Its construction contract was awarded in 1755 to Manoel Francisco Lisboa, but it was António da Silva Herdeiro who effectively took charge of the construction. It has arches and walls of stone and mortar, with a parapet and cross made of itacolumite. The Ponte Seca (dry bridge) is thus named because the stream that passed beneath it was filled with earth. There is no information available about its history. The parapet is formed from two stone curtain walls, placed horizontally and rendered with mortar and sand. The construction of the Ponte da Barra, over the Córrego do Funil, was contracted in 1806 to José Ferreira Santiago. This bridge of stone arches replaced a former structure that was destroyed by a flood in 1760. There are two small semicircular extensions with benches on the pavement and a cross on the parapet.
Cláudia Damasceno Fonseca