Luís I Bridge
Portuguese history, culture and tradition.
The exigent orography of the terrain where the city of Porto was built made it difficult to connect both banks. Thus, the Douro River came to be dominated by a very interesting set of bridges from different periods.
Iron Architecture
The introduction of cast iron from the last quarter of the eighteenth century, and later in 1870, the emergence of laminated steel, the industrial age revealed another important progress. We witnessed the birth of a set of bridges resulting from very creative projects that made it possible to overcome the orographic challenges of the terrain. This was the generalized concept of the Iron Architecture of this period, developed by the new bourgeoisie and related to the new liberal ideals, sustained by the economic benefits that scientific-technological development allowed.
Eiffel's Influence
Gustave Eiffel played a decisive role when he created “La Passerelle” bridge in Bordeaux, a model that served as an inspiration for the construction of many others. In 1880, the contest winner for the construction of a new bridge to replace the old Suspension Bridge was the “Willebroeck Construction and Workshop Joint-Stock Company” (Belgium). The French engineer Théophile Seyrig (1844-1923) oversaw this project, who had been Gustave Eiffel’s partner in the construction of the “D. Maria Bridge” (located 1km upstream).
Magnificent Result
The result was a large bridge, with an upper deck of 391 meters (about the height of the Empire State Building) in length and a lower deck of 174 meters (about twice the length of a football field), both five meters wide. It is formed by a central arch of joints, bi-articulated, with a span of 180 meters. Its construction with two decks connecting both riverbanks, proved to be of high significance in the urban circulation network improvement, having been inaugurated in May 1886. The upper deck, where the metro currently runs, provides one of the most magnificent views over the city and the Douro River that you can’t miss.
Suggestion
The Douro River and its bridges are some of the most important elements of the city and they provide a big contribution to the definition of the city’s character. The “Tour 4 – Through the Cultural Centers of Porto” is accompanied by the story “Elements of the City of Porto” where a set of natural and human attributes of the city are exposed. This story also presents the sequence of the very interesting set of bridges over the Douro River. Discover the city of Porto and learn about its history and culture with the Walkinporto app.
Ribeira presents itself as one of the most authentic places in the city and is therefore an area with the most demand for accommodation. My suggestions are very centrally located so that you can feel and live the soul of the city up close and get to know its historic neighborhoods. Get to know my accommodation advice.
