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Puente de Piedra (English: Stone Bridge) - Bridge across the river Ebro in the Zaragoza (Spain). Puente de Piedra is also called the Bridge of Lions because four lions (symbols of the city) are placed on the pillars at both sides of the bridge.
History
Since the 12th century the citizens of Zaragoza tried to build a bridge across the Ebro. In 1401-1440, the stone bridge was built under the direction of Gil de Menestral. The flood in 1643 destroyed two central bridge spans. Since then the bridge looked as you can see in the picture "View of Zaragoza" by Juan Bautista Martínez del Mazo (1647).[1]
The lions on the pillars
In 1659 the bridge was reconstructed. Architect Felipe de Busignac restored two destroyed towers and expanded the bridge piers. In 1789, architect Agustín Sanz strengthened the Ebro coast to the Monastery of St. Lazarus to prevent the risk of the flooding of the bridge. The reconstruction of the bridge was of great economic importance for the development of the region and all the country.
