Alcántara

Town in the province of Cáceres, western Spain, situated on a rocky height above the River Tagus; population (1995) 2,000. The town is named after its six-arched Roman bridge, which was built in AD 105; it is 204 m/669 ft long and 40 m/131 ft high, and is still in use.

The Knights of Alcántara founded their order here, and the ruins of their castle and convent remain.

The bridge in Alcántara has been damaged several times, most recently during the Spanish Civil War (1936-39), but it has since been fully restored.