The Puente de las Arcas (Bridge of the Arches) is a road structure on the Southern Branch of the Canal de Castilla, located within the municipality of Palencia, at kilometer 96.250. Built between 1759 and 1804, it forms part of the ambitious Enlightenment project that integrated inland navigation with the road network, allowing safe crossing over the canal without interfering with its hydraulic operation. Its significance lies in the elegance of its structural design and its harmonious integration into the surrounding area near the city.
The structure is resolved by means of an elliptical arch, a typology that offers a more low and stylized silhouette. The arch has an approximate span of 11.30 meters and a height of approximately 4.10 meters. The entire structure reaches a length of about 27.40 meters, with a variable width between 6.50 and 9.30 meters and a total height of 6.35 meters. It is built entirely of limestone ashlar and is completed with stone parapets and a plain impost at its base. On the right bank, the stone walkway that provided continuity to the towpaths is preserved, a key element for maintenance and circulation along the canal.
For the visitor, the Puente de las Arcas offers an accessible and suggestive stop, ideal for understanding the relationship between engineering, city and river landscape, and for enjoying a section of the Canal de Castilla where history and contemporary use coexist naturally.
