There are wonderful places and amazing stories, where you don't expect them. Wonderful objects built a long time ago which had value and role in the past, but which are slowly abandoned and forgotten. This is one such story. The story of the one old bridge, and my attempt to tear it from oblivion. Of course, there are much nicer, bigger, more graceful, and famous bridges, but this bridge also deserves its story.
The abandoned bridge of Maria Theresa, located in the extreme south of Banat near the village of Pločica, in the middle of the fields, above the empty bed of the former river Ponjavica, testifies to the once-powerful empire that ruled in this area. The proximity of the bridge causes conflicting feelings, sadness, respect, concern, and wonder, how something so beautiful, valuable, and elegant is falling apart, without anyone taking care of it.
It is not known who built it and when, it is assumed that it was built in the 18th century during the reign of Maria Theresa, who did a lot to make the Banat plain fruitful because this part was swampy. That is why is called the Maria Theresa Bridge and in general, it resembles the bridges of the powerful Austro-Hungarian Empire. It is also called Jerina's bridge, named after the Cursed Jerina, a Greek woman and the wife of the ruler Đurađ Branković, who was very influential in the 15th century. But the bridge is definitely not from that era. There is also the name of the bridge "Eugene of Savoy". This famous military leader of the Habsburg monarchy, a very resonant name in Vienna, fought with the Turks in this area, so it is not surprising that the bridge is associated with his name.
The bridge is listed in the catalog of the Institute for the Protection of Monuments, as one of the oldest bridges in Serbia, but there is almost no information about it. It is also strange that such a bridge is located in such a place, where no important road has passed through history. The construction of such a bridge is explained only by the proximity of the former border and the Danube river.
It is built of brick and has three arches. It is about twenty meters long. You can walk on the bridge, but be careful, because it has started to collapse and there are a couple of holes in it. One side of the bridge is well preserved, while the other has collapsed.
The bridge does not have a river, as I have already stated. The river Ponjavica used to flow there, which has dried up in the meantime. As you can see in the photo, the riverbed of Ponjavica was narrow. Having in mind the width of the bridge, it is logical that at the time when the bridge was built, a wider river flowed there. Therefore, there was a need to bridge that river.
Although you can find a brief information on the website of the tourist organization Kovin, the municipality that includes the mentioned village, there is no info board or any signpost that will lead you to the bridge. The only way to get to the bridge is to ask the locals. My husband is from this area, so the story of the bridge is very familiar to him, but outside this place, rarely anyone knows about the bridge, and rarely anyone is interested in it.
The area around the bridge is also neglected. The road leading to it is deformed by tractor tires, which often pass here. Very disappointing ambiance.
In any case, I had a great time. The bridge was very interesting for the children and they did not look at the bridge the way we look at it. When a local with goats and kids went by the bridge, the children were delighted. We talked to the man and petted these cheerful animals.
Cultural heritage is the wealth of one nation, which is not only the concern of state institutions but also of all of us, ordinary citizens. This area had a very turbulent history and many different armies of great empires that no longer exist have passed through here. This is how this bridge was created, as a road from north to south and west to east, and it survived for three centuries, and many wars during this long period.
I have nothing more to add. Regardless of its surroundings and people's attitude towards it, the bridge stands proudly and defies time, and waits for the moment when more attention will be paid to it. A bridge without a river, without a name, without established history, without purpose, may at some point have its bright future as it deserves. I hope it will be like that.
I wish you a nice Sunday.
With love,
Snežana