The Renaissance bridge that links Quintanilla de Onésimo and Olivares de Duero is the only bridge over the Duero River on the stretch from Tudela to Peñafiel.

“The first news we have of the Olivares and Quintanilla bridge dates from the end of the 15th century. On 17 February 1494, the Catholic Monarchs sent a commission to Doctor de Villaescusa (Corregidor of Valladolid) to visit both towns and find out the need to build the bridge and the cost of the work. The council of Olivares had requested permission to build it and had the permission of the Count of Urueña, lord of the town of Quintanilla de Yuso…”.

It was not until the summer of 1571 that Juan de la Vega began his arch on the Quintanilla side. In April 1572, Francisco del Río began his arch on the Olivares side.

Disputes between the two towns and problems in meeting the costs of the bridge followed one after the other over the years. In 1594 they were estimated at 163,717 maravedís and they asked for a distribution among the surrounding towns (such as the Monastery of Valbuena, which had its livestock and other assets seized for non-payment of 7,000 maravedís, later returned on the grounds that it had Royal Privileges).

As it was a large-scale work, certain unforeseen events had to be continually dealt with: the flooding of the river, the layout and the strength of the foundations. The architects who worked on it corrected the defects in time. The “Valdefuentes” quarries in Quintanilla provided stone for the councils of Olivares and Quintanilla.

In 1624, the stonemasons Sancho de Arribas and Juan Gómez de la Bordera visited the building and certified that the work was finished to perfection.

The floods of 1702 and 1717 ruined the bridge and years later the reinforcements of the abutments and half of the arch on the Olivares side collapsed and after the corresponding repairs, in 1729 it was given the go-ahead again.

As a curiosity, in 1812, in the midst of the War of Independence, the English general Wellington blew out an eye of the bridge as part of his strategy against the French, who were stationed in Quintanilla. In 1816, the Dominicans of Peñafiel were asked to repair the bridge, as they were the ones who at that time charged the PONTAZGO or right of passage over the bridge.

In the 18th century this beautiful bridge had 7 arches, 800 feet long, 39 feet wide and 49 feet high from the stream. The present arches are round arches, the central one being the largest. The piers are protected by curved angle cutwaters and the abutments of the bridge are square in plan.

You can see more riverside bridges here.