Patto Bridge
The
Patto bridge a historic monument built by the Portuguese is a small bridge in
Panjim the capital city of Goa. The Patto bridge is the extension of the
causeway known as Ponte de Linhares (‘Ponte’
in Portuguese means Bridge) that is
about 3.2 kms long and is considered to be one of the longest bridge in South
Asia. Also the oldest causeway of its kind it links Panaji with the Ribandar
village.
Architecture
The
Panjim side Patto Bridge is also a beautiful piece of architecture. The
expertise of the Jesuits of the College of St. Paul (Collegio de Sao Paulo) in Old Goa
was availed of in 1632 and the massive bridge, the longest and oldest in the
whole East, was built on alluvial soil after stabilizing it with solid
trunks of local timber known as “zambo”
or “jambo” (benth).
The
bridge a fine piece of architecture with Roman style arches is built of
laterite stone and the area around the bridge is known as Patto. The Patto Bridge is painted
in white, which again adds to its beauty.
Thus the PattoBridge has become a symbol of our heritage and one of the
positive legacies left by the Portuguese who ruled Goa from 1510 – 1961, for a
period of 451 years, with her varying boundaries.
Comments
Post a Comment