Door of the Roman Bridge
The Roman City of Córdoba was a city closed by walls and one of its
entrances was the Door of the Bridge. Of this door we don‘t know anything, we only know that there was a statue next to it that represented the roman goddess, which protected the city and it was supposed to be Venus, the goddess of love.
During the Muslim period it was known to be the entrance of the city but with different names: Bab al-Qantara (the Door of the Bridge), Bab al-Wadi (the Door of the River), Bab al-Sura (the Door of the Statue) or Bab al –Yazira (the
Door of Algeciras). It was very closed to the Mosque-Cathedral.
We have to join the XVI Century to know the first works which were run due to the visit of Philip II. The first drawings were done by Francisco de Montalbán but they didn‘t concince the city. Then it was Hernán Ruiz III who gained the approval in 1775 and the ruler Francisco Zapata
supported the works.
The door of the bridge is done with sandstone ashlars divided into three parts, the central one is made with a shouldered arch with vassoirs. Next to every vassoirs there are two couple of Doric columns and the upright column is on a basement almohaldillado. On this there a entablature that covers all the perimeter of the door. Upper there was a wainscot composed by trigliphs and methops without any other decoration; this is put on a
cornisa. In the lower part of the building the columns are substituted by smart pillars without any decoration.
The central part is crowned by a circular fronton that represents two warriors carrying the shield of the Spanish crown. Below there is an inscription that says: "Reinando la Sacra Católica Majestad Don Felipe, nuestro señor, segundo de este nombre" (being king the Sacred Catholic Majesty Mr. Philip, our sir, second of this name). The rest of the decoration is situated into the columns and they represent a
sat woman on a beheaded corpse of a man. It was thought to be Judith and Holofernes; and on the other side there is a feminine character that keeps a baby on her arms.
The door was performed by the mayor Salvador Muñoz Pérez during the first part of the XX Century, turning it into a building detached from the walls of the city and turning it into a triumph arch. As Miguel Ángel Ortí Belmonte explains this is an archaeological mistake of the period of performance. Another mistake was to put the door covered behind the Ronda de Isasa Street. Not with standing this it is projected to deliver the this part of the street its initial level linked to the bridge.
entrances was the Door of the Bridge. Of this door we don‘t know anything, we only know that there was a statue next to it that represented the roman goddess, which protected the city and it was supposed to be Venus, the goddess of love.
During the Muslim period it was known to be the entrance of the city but with different names: Bab al-Qantara (the Door of the Bridge), Bab al-Wadi (the Door of the River), Bab al-Sura (the Door of the Statue) or Bab al –Yazira (the
Door of Algeciras). It was very closed to the Mosque-Cathedral.
We have to join the XVI Century to know the first works which were run due to the visit of Philip II. The first drawings were done by Francisco de Montalbán but they didn‘t concince the city. Then it was Hernán Ruiz III who gained the approval in 1775 and the ruler Francisco Zapata
supported the works.
The door of the bridge is done with sandstone ashlars divided into three parts, the central one is made with a shouldered arch with vassoirs. Next to every vassoirs there are two couple of Doric columns and the upright column is on a basement almohaldillado. On this there a entablature that covers all the perimeter of the door. Upper there was a wainscot composed by trigliphs and methops without any other decoration; this is put on a
cornisa. In the lower part of the building the columns are substituted by smart pillars without any decoration.
The central part is crowned by a circular fronton that represents two warriors carrying the shield of the Spanish crown. Below there is an inscription that says: "Reinando la Sacra Católica Majestad Don Felipe, nuestro señor, segundo de este nombre" (being king the Sacred Catholic Majesty Mr. Philip, our sir, second of this name). The rest of the decoration is situated into the columns and they represent a
sat woman on a beheaded corpse of a man. It was thought to be Judith and Holofernes; and on the other side there is a feminine character that keeps a baby on her arms.
The door was performed by the mayor Salvador Muñoz Pérez during the first part of the XX Century, turning it into a building detached from the walls of the city and turning it into a triumph arch. As Miguel Ángel Ortí Belmonte explains this is an archaeological mistake of the period of performance. Another mistake was to put the door covered behind the Ronda de Isasa Street. Not with standing this it is projected to deliver the this part of the street its initial level linked to the bridge.
Text: J.A.S.C.
Traslated by Sara Moretti
Art, Culture and Tourism in Cordoba