Bridge of Spanos near Kipoureio
Just outside Kipoureio stands the particularly impressive Bridge of Spanos, the largest surviving stone bridge in Macedonia. Built in 1846 over the Venetikos River, it measures an impressive 85 meters in length, while the span of its central arch reaches 14.35 meters. It is a five-arched stone bridge, an outstanding work of craftsmanship by anonymous master builders of the period. The bridge took its name from Mustafa Pasha, known as “Spanos”, from Argyrokastro, who paid 50,000 kuruş for its construction. It is estimated that it was either built on the site of an earlier bridge dating to the 15th-century, or significantly close to it. The area once included an inn, as well as the grave of Spanos, neither of which survives today. The five arches of different sizes, the strong piers integrated into the river rocks, and the relieving openings that protect it from floods are what distinguish the bridge in terms of architecture. Although concrete strengthening was added in the 1950s and the original parapet was replaced, it remains one of the most important monuments of stone craftsmanship and has been officially a designated protected landmark since 1995.
