Bridges presentation
The revival of bridge building in Europe following the fall of the Roman Empire was marked by the
spread of the pointed arch westward from its origins in the Middle East. The pointed arch typically
was a Gothic architectural form important structurally in the development of palaces, castles, and
especially the cathedrals of western Europe, but not very important for bridges. Medieval bridges
continued such multi-functional traditions as the Isfahan Bridge in Iran. Chapels, shops, tollhouses,
and towers adorned fortified bridges such the 1355 Pont Valentré at Cahors (France) or the Monnow
Bridge (1272, 1296) at Monmouth, Wales (UK), which were built with defensive ramparts, firing
slits, and drawspans.
Christian religious orders formed after the fall of the Roman Empire greatly assisted travellers by
building bridges. In western and central Europe, religious groups managed popular financial
institutions, with Papal sanction, both for bridge construction and for hospitals
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