I love this photo of Ponte de Lima’s namesake bridge. While most of the bridge was built in the 14th century to adjust for changes in the path of the river, the section on the north side of the bridge does, in fact, date from Roman times.
The day we visited Ponte de Lima was quite rainy, hence the umbrellas in the photo. I love the bright yellow umbrella in the center of the photo against an otherwise grey image. I also love the yellow lights that hang above the bridge.
Ponte de Lima is a wonderful little town and well worth a visit.
Ponte de Lima is one of the oldest towns in Portugal. The town’s beautiful bridge, which spans the River Lima, goes back to Roman times. Ponte de Lima’s ties to the Romans is reflected in the legend of the River Lima.
Around 139 B.C., the Romans had turned their attention to conquering the Celtic tribe of Gallaeci, who controlled Hispania. It was a hard fought campaign, covering what is now Spain and Portugal.
According to legend, when the war-weary Romans first reached the Ria Lima they mistook it for the River Lethe, the river of forgetfulness and one of the five rivers of Hades. The soldiers, afraid that the water would cause them to lose all memory, refused to cross the river. The Roman commander, General Decimus Junius Brutus Callaicus, frustrated that the river was impeding his military campaign, rode across the river.
Despite seeing their commander on the opposite bank of the river, the soldiers were not convinced. The General then began to call each of the men by name. The troops, astonished that their commander had retained his memories, crossed the river to join their fearless leader, their fears dispelled and their memories intact.
Today the legend is celebrated by a display of statues along the river banks- the troops on the near bank and the general on the opposite side of the river.
It was raining when we visited Ponte de Lima, Portugal. While rain can put a damper on a tourist’s visit, we decided we wouldn’t let the weather stop us. Ponte de Lima is a beautiful little town in the north of the country and is a popular tourist destination.
This photo is across the River Lima. I love the way the gold blades of the windmill stand out in an otherwise monochromatic scene.
The beautiful Ponte Romana, or Roman bridge, is just one of the highlights of the delightful little village of Ponte de Lima. There’s always something going on in the town, from concerts and art shows to an annual auto rally. But the bridge was what touched me.
It was raining the day we visited, but sometimes there are benefits to photographing in the rain. Colors stand out more against the darker skies. In this photo, the yellow umbrella really stands out. The other colors- the yellow street lamps and the red roofs of the church and buildings on the opposite side of the river, are also quite striking.
Ponte de Lima is a beautiful little village in the north of Portugal. It was raining when we visited, but we didn’t let the weather keep us from enjoying the beauty of the town.
Rainy days can make a scene rather monochromatic. In this case, the green farmacia sign, with it’s reflection on the wet pavement, and the red planters on the right add a little color to the scene.
The little town of Ponte de Lima was not on our original itinerary, but after several people we met on our trip suggested we make it a stop on our tour, we did just that. A half hour drive from Viana do Castelo, the town with a population of 2,800 was a nice stop on our way to Braga.
Ponte de Lima is one of the oldest towns in Portugal, beginning life as a Roman settlement on the road between Braga and Santiago de Campostela, Spain. A popular spot with Portuguese tourists, the village is full of charming shops and restaurants. Historical towers and walls are integrated into the newer buildings.
The most famous attraction, and namesake of the town, is the ponte, an ancient stone bridge that crosses the Ria Lima. The bridge was extensively rebuilt in the 14th century but the north end is still of Roman origin.
Ponte Romana
The local legend is that when the Romans first reached Ria Lima they mistook it for the River Lethe, the river of forgetfulness and one of the five rivers of Hades. The soldiers, afraid that the water would cause them to lose all memory, refused to cross the river. The Roman commander, frustrated that the river was impeding his military campaign, rode across the river. The soldiers were not convinced until the General, now on the opposite bank of the river, called each of the men by name. Today the legend is celebrated by a display of statues along the river banks- the troops on the near bank and the general on the opposite side of the river.
The Roman troops waiting to cross the river
Another interesting little legend is the story pictured in azelejos on the Torre that now houses the Tourist Information Center. The azelejo is titled “Cabras São Senhor!” (They’re goats, M’lord!) The story goes that King Afonso Henriques, Portugal’s first king, mistook a herd of goats for Moors and nearly attacked the herd. Fortunately for the goats, the king called off the attack once he realized his mistake.
Torre with azelejo “Cabras São Senhor!”
There’s a lot of artwork, including several sculptures like this one celebrating folk life.
Folk Life Monument
Walking through town is like walking through a park. There’s a lot of green space, monuments, and artwork. We spent time exploring the streets and stopped for coffee and cake in one of the cafés in town. It seemed that everywhere we turned we found another beautiful street.
Could we live in Ponte de Lima? Definitely, yes. For such a small town there are a lot of things to see and do. The one drawback would be that we’d have to drive more, as amenities are a little more limited than in larger cities. We enjoyed the short time we spent in Ponte de Lima and have this fantastic little town in our top three of places we’d like to live in Portugal.
rode across the river.
Mostly True 