The local craftsmen, using only the materials provided by nature and guided by their instinct, aesthetics and common sense, built bridges that have nothing to envy of those designed by engineers.
Although many of the bridges have been replaced by steel constructions, a number of the stone bridges still dot the Greek countryside.
These bridges are small masterpieces, and no two are alike. The stonemasons who built them were simple folk, without any formal education in their craft and in building, they managed instinctively to solve technical problems and construct works of art, with an ingrained talent for engineering and architecture.
Their bridges, and a wealth of other stone structures, were built to serve everyday needs, but managed to blend exquisitely with the natural landscape, and give off a sense of harmony and measure.
The oft-sung stonemasons of the past, whose works serve as a lasting tribute to their craft, traditionally came from specific parts of mainland Greece, and to a lesser degree from the islands.
The most renowned stonemason villages were located around Mt. Grammos and Sarantaporos River, Tzoumerka, western Macedonia, Arcadia, Epirus and Thrace.
ANA-MPA
