Verraco del puente, Stone animal statue at Roman bridge entrance, Salamanca, Spain
The Verraco del puente is a granite animal sculpture positioned at the entrance of Salamanca's Roman bridge. This solid stone carving sits at ground level where visitors naturally cross, forming a recognizable landmark along the bridge approach.
This statue was created around 400 BCE by the Vettones, an ancient tribe living on the Iberian Peninsula before Roman rule. It stands as one of the oldest artworks in Salamanca and bridges thousands of years of the region's past.
This stone carving appears in the Spanish novel Lazarillo de Tormes and features on the city coat of arms, showing its deep connection to local identity. Walking past it today, you sense how a simple figure has become woven into Salamanca's cultural memory.
The sculpture sits at the Roman bridge entrance in the city center, easy to reach on foot from most parts of Salamanca. You can view it at any time of day, and the location makes a natural stopping point when crossing the bridge.
In 1834, a provincial governor threw this sculpture into the Tormes River, where it broke into three pieces. Workers recovered and reassembled it in 1867, giving the ancient figure a dramatic second act in its long story.
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