The striking bridge with ten arches that joins the municipalities of Pontevedra and Soutomaior was the scene of the last battle in Galicia against Napoleon's army, during the War of Independence. It happened on June 7 and 8, 1809, and with it the Sixth Corps of the French army under the command of Marshal Michel Ney, Duke of Elchingen, was definitively defeated, and the French occupation of Galicia ended.
The bridge, of medieval origin, gives its name to the Pontevedra parish of Ponte Sampaio, located at the mouth of the River Verdugo, in the Vigo estuary. The battle fought here was preceded by the uprising of the people of Vigo and the expulsion of the invading French troops under the command of General Chalot.
If you are enjoying the Rías Baixas or you are doing the Camino Portugues in the direction of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, the Roman bridge of Ponte Sampaio is a mandatory stop. Only on its structure can you enjoy the unique view of the Verdugo River and all the parishes that surround it.
