Plaka Bridge

Title

Plaka Bridge

Artist

Elias Pentikis

Medium

Photograph - Photography

Description

Plaka bridge is the largest single-arch stone bridge in the Balkans. It collapsed in February of 2015 due to flooding Arachthos river but now a new bridge has been built according to the traditional techniques of stone bridge building along with modern engineering.

Over 300 people worked for the restoration, including specialist stonemasons and a university team comprising 30 professors and 40 researchers mainly from the National Metsovio Polytechnic University.

“No modern technology or hidden supports, nor a single kilo of metal has been used for the restoration,” and everything is as it was built 150 years ago, said Kalibakos a professor of Metallurgy and Mine Engineering at the National Metsovio Polytechnic University.

The original bridge had been built in 1866 by master builder Kostas Bekas, after two unsuccessful attempts by other builders in 1860 and 1863.

In 1863 the bridge fell down on the day of the inauguration. During the Second World War the bridge was bombed by the Germans near its center, but it withstood the bombing and the damage was repaired.

With its arch of 40 meters (130 ft) width and 17.61 m (57 ft 9 in) height, it is the largest single-arch stone bridge in Greece and the Balkans and the third largest such in Europe.

The central, monumental arch also has two small auxiliary arches, 6 meters wide, on either side. It was considered “one of the most difficult, single-arch bridges to be built.”

Plaka Bridge is located at the borders of Arta and Ioannina prefectures, spanning the waters of Arachthos.

High-quality imagery by Elias Pentikis provided with a 30-day money-back guarantee from Fine Art America. Canvas prints, metal prints, fine art paper prints, framed prints.

Uploaded

October 24th, 2021

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