Bridge of Koromilia

Photo: © Argyris Pafilis

Μετάφραση Greek Version

Bridge of Koromilia

The bridge is built approximately a kilometer north of Koromilia, over the Ladopotamos river which is a tributary of Aliakmonas. It used to connect the village of Koromilia with the one of Dendrochori and Kastoria with Biglista and Korytsa in Albania. It is an arched bridge with a length of 26 meters, a width of 2.80 meters, a height of 7 meters and an arch opening of 16 meters. According to an engraved stone placed on the arch, the bridge was built in 1865 with limestone and schist slate as the basic building materials.

There is not much information about the bridge as the people of the nearby village of Koromilia were expelled after the exchange of populations, and refugees coming from Asia Minor settled in the village. The bridge construction took place prior to the exchange, so all the information has been lost.

According to the professor of the University of Thrace, Dimitris Samsaris, materials from an earlier ancient bridge that pre-existed in the same location, were used for the construction of the new one. The difference between the old and new stones that make up the stone structure of the bridge is obvious and can be noticed mainly due to the color difference of the stones. The iron railings supported by concrete columns and the concrete deck are relatively new as they were added in 1960 during the restoration of the bridge.