Puente de Isabel II, Seville

Puente de Isabel II is the metal arch bridge commonly called Triana Bridge, linking Triana with Seville’s central district. Its arches carry the crossing over the Canal de Alfonso XIII, a branch of the Guadalquivir that helps give Triana its almost-island setting. The bridge was completed in 1852, during the reign of Isabella II, and takes its official name from her.

It replaced a pontoon crossing that had served this spot for centuries. That earlier bridge was assembled from boats joined by chains and topped with timber, a practical answer to the river’s difficult ground and changing currents. The Moorish rulers built it in the 12th century, and later repairs kept it in service for seven centuries.

The present structure is recognised as the oldest surviving iron bridge in Spain, and it is also the oldest bridge built in Seville. As you follow the metal sweep of the arches, you are looking at a crossing that turned a vulnerable river passage into a permanent route between Triana and the rest of the city.