A masterpiece of our Renaissance architecture lives a new life. The bridge of Kolyu Ficheto, near the town of Byala, which was about to collapse, has already been restored. It will be the center of a new tourist site in the Ruse region. The official opening of the renovated facility will take place on August 23.
„This modest man in a coat and a cap doesn't know that with his Belen Bridge he built the largest hydraulic structure on the Balkan Peninsula outside of Constantinople,' says Felix Kanitz about Kolyu Ficheto.
The first flat sail on the Balkan Peninsula with a length of 276 meters and a width of nearly 9.5 meters, it impresses now and is a masterpiece for its time. Nikola Ivanov Fichev, called Usta, which means master, built the bridge over the Yantra in two years and for the sum of 700 thousand groshis, at a time when French engineers asked for 2 million groshis for its construction.
„We have all heard about the infamous bargain with Mithad Pasha, where he bet his head if he did not build the bridge for 700 thousand groshis”, the mayor of Byala Dimitar Slavov explained to Nova TV.
The legend tells that the craftsman risked his life by standing under the bridge while oxcarts passed over it, as proof that he was strong and would last. A flood in 1897 swept away part of the facility. In 1922-1923 it was reconstructed, but the original appearance was changed.
Today the bridge has been restored, one part - completely authentic with the decorated arches with relief images. And the other, as it was reconstructed.
„The best four arches, first preserved from the authentic bridge of Colju Ficheto, you will see them in their full glory. Before, they were literally pitch black in places, Slavov also said.
The flooring and railings have been restored, the sculptural elements are in place, the skirting boards have been restored, as well as the white stone facade of the authentic part. The pavement of the bridge is made of split stone, the so-called cobblestone.
The expo center built next to the facility immerses visitors in the world of the Renaissance builder. Waxwork scenes take the strip back more than 157 years and tell moments of the bridge's construction. The details impress with precision.
The restored bridge of Kolyo Ficheto will welcome tourists with light and visual effects.
The pipers, actors, dancers, choir and soloists of the Rousse Opera will present a performance on August 23 during the official opening of the restored bridge. The evening will end with a 3D-mapping projection, and pictures will come to life on the Colju Ficheto bridge.