Stone Bridge of Pyli
Bridge of Portaikos
Address
22nd km of the national road Trikala – Arta, Pyli 420 32
GPS
39.460412087521, 21.600338816643
The bridge of Pyli or St. Vissarion or Portas is a stone arched bridge located 1.5 km east of Pyli Trikala, bridging the river Portaikos. According to the surviving inscription, it was built in 1514.
The bridge of Pili was built in 1514 with the sponsorship of Vissarion II, who was then a monk and was ordained bishop of Elassona and metropolitan of Stagi. Vissarion was the sponsor of several bridges in the area, such as the bridge of Sarakinas, and the founder of the nearby monastery of Agios Vissarion. Until 1936 the bridge was the only access between the villages of the Aspropotamos area and the plain of Thessaly. In 1967 and 1968, work was carried out to reinforce the foundations of the bridge, strengthening the mortar with cement.
The bridge is single-span with a semi-circular span with a height of 30 meters and a span of 29 meters and has the second largest span of the traditional bridges of Thessaly. The total deck length of the bridge is 67 metres. The deck width is 2.1 metres. It is built of clay masonry and the bridge deck is made of chipped sandstone.
