Amarante was already a crossing point over the River Tâmega in Roman times. When S. Gonçalo arrived here in 1280, he was concerned at the number of people who lost their lives when the river was in full flood.
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The Bridge of Amarante |
S. Gonçalo’s bridge was destroyed by a flood in 1763.
Construction of the current bridge dates from 1782. Opened in 1790, Amarante's greatest moment of glory was the heroic defence of the bridge under the command of Francisco Pinto da Silveira.
For two weeks, from April 18th to May 2nd 1809, a few hundred defenders manfully resisted the onslaught of the Napoleonic military machine. They were finally dislodged from their positions in the early hours of May 3rd when a massive charge of gunpowder destroyed the barricade that cut the bridge.
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