The Mizarela bridge is in northern Portugal, inside the Gerês National Park. A couple of years back, I visited this park for one week. This bridge was built in the 19th century and has many mysterious stories surrounding it. The bridge was built over the Rabagão river, where its waters cut through a granite formation, giving rise to a nice waterfall. There are two legends about the bridge. The first one describes how a man, while being chased by a group of people, arrived in front of the river; desperate to cross it, he invoked the devil for help and promised him his soul. Agreeing to the deal, the devil built the bridge, and the man escaped. Hence, the bridge is also known as the Devil´s Bridge.
Even more fascinating is the second legend, or ritual, related to baptism. When a woman is unable to maintain a pregnancy or is afraid of having an abortion, she should go to the bridge at the end of the day (accompanied by her husband or family members) and wait for the first person to pass by. This traveller will be invited to celebrate the baptism of the future child. The baptism ceremony should take place immediately, in utero, and using pure water from the Rabagão river. It is said that no one has ever refused to do so, as it is considered a moral duty and a great honour.
As if it were not enough in terms of stories, in 1809, the French army, during the Napoleonic invasions, was trapped in such a narrow passage and was defeated at this bridge. Walking around the area, one can appreciate the great, rugged beauty of the location. I wanted to frame the full force of the waterfall with the old bridge in the background. In the end, I decided that this image is a good representation of my memories of the visit to an extraordinary place.
