Kavšek Bridge, Stone arch bridge in Podutik, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Kavšek Bridge is a single-arch stone bridge over Glinščica Creek on Podutik Street in Ljubljana, built of Glinica limestone blocks. Its low walls run in two rows on each side, and a column with a Madonna and Child relief stands on the southern wall. It now carries pedestrians and cyclists, with a separate bridge beside it for motor traffic.
The bridge was built in 1901 from local limestone under the direction of Franc Kauschegg, a road committee member, and was used for road traffic until the 1960s. It collapsed on 29 May 1985 and was rebuilt in its original form, opening for public use on 19 May 1993. Since August 2001 it has been protected as local cultural heritage.
The column on the south wall carries a four-verse intercession to Mary carved into its base, alongside the bridge's construction year and the stonemason's name, Alojzij Vodnik. The Madonna and Child relief is a copy; the original base remains, while the shrine's upper part was rebuilt by the Vodnik family from Kamna Gorica near Podutik.
The bridge is easily accessible on foot or by bicycle and serves as a key crossing point along Podutik Street. Visitors can view the relief and inscriptions on the walls from both sides of the structure.
A stone cross once stood on the northern wall but was removed after World War II, reflecting shifting social attitudes in the area. The absence of this marker tells as much about the period as any visible inscription.
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