Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

Kolyo Ficheto's bridge in Byala has been restored

Photo: BTA

After years of decay, one of the iconic bridges built by the master craftsman Kolyo Ficheto is ready to welcome tourists again. Its official reopening will take place on August 23.

The Byala Bridge was built over the Yantra River in 1865-1867 on the orders of Midhat Pasha, vali of the Danube Vilayet. Its construction was necessitated by the new road crossing the Yantra River at the town of Byala that connected Ruse, the main town of the Danube Vilayet, with Tsargrad, the capital of the Ottoman Empire.


Polish engineer Lyudmil Rola who was serving under Mithat Pasha requested 3 million groschen in order to build the bridge, whereas Kolyo Ficheto, the most famous master-builder from the Bulgarian Revival Period, agreed to construct it in exchange of 700,000 groschen.


The bridge has now fully regained its authentic appearance. The famous sculptures of a nymph, griffin, lion and swan have been restored. Right next to it is an innovative exhibition centre where visitors can learn about the life of the famous native master craftsman Kolyo Ficheto. Do not miss the second floor, which offers an exceptional view of the bridge and the Yantra River.

Photos: BTA


Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Eliya drinking fountain in Nikopol is covered in delicate verses of love

They call Nikopol “the town of ages” because its history goes back thousands of years. It was founded as a settlement in the year 169 during the reign of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius. In 629, theByzantine Emperor renamed the town to Nicopolis, meaning..

published on 10/19/24 11:30 AM

Forgery of historical and cultural artefacts "contaminates" science

There are rumours and speculations that some forgeries, so good that they are not inferior to the originals, could be found among the exhibits in the museums, but at the moment a whole series of forgeries can be seen at an exhibition..

published on 10/18/24 10:57 AM

A fully preserved statue from the 2nd-3rd century was discovered in Odessos

A unique statue from the Roman period of Odessos, preliminarily dated to the late 2nd to the first half of the 3rd century, has been discovered during excavation works near the train station in Varna, said archaeologists from the Varna Regional..

published on 10/15/24 6:10 PM