The bridge of Arta is a stone bridge built over the river Arahthos near the city of Arta. Located in an area with a lot of commercial traffic the bridge took its modern form around 1602-1606 A.D. The funds for the construction were given by Ioannis Theiakogiannis who was a local tradesman. He probably wanted to ensure the safe passage of mules and the products they carried over the river.

There is an old legend that refers to the construction of the bridge. It says that 1300 builders, 60 helpers and 45 craftsmen started working the first day to build the bridge. They left at night only to return in the morning and find only ruins. This happened for three days, until the fourth day a bird with human voice told them that the archbuilder must bury his wife alive in the building's foundations if they wanted to complete their task.

The archbuilder hearing that, was deeply sad and devastated. He sent a sparrow to his wife with a message "To dress slowly, change clothes slowly, slowly go to the bridge, slowly pass under the bridge of Arta". But the bird misheard him and told her to dress up and go to the bridge as fast as she could...

When she went to the bridge, she saw that her husband was sad and asked the workers what was the reason of his sorrow. They answered that he was sad because his wedding ring had fallen deep into the foundations of the bridge and nobody would go and take it.

Then the woman, out of love for her husband, offered to go and take it. When she reached the pitt where the ring was, the workers started dropping limestones on top of her to build her in. The archbuilder himself dropped the biggest piece of limestone with pain in his heart...

His wife realising what was happening cursed the bridge to be unsteady and make passers-by fall into the water like leaves. She was then reminded that she had a brother who might as well fall into the river and she changed her curses to wishes. "Let the bridge be as solid as wild mountains are and let passers-by fly over the river like the wild birds do".

Sources:

1) http://www.foniagroti.gr/?p=7904

2)https://el.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CE%93%CE%B5%CF%86%CF%8D%CF%81%CE%B9_%CF%84%CE%B7%CF%82_%CE%86%CF%81%CF%84%CE%B1%CF%82



3)http://petrinagefiria.com/q=content/%CE%B3%CE%B5%CF%86%CF%8D%CF%81%CE%B9-%CF%84%CE%B7%CF%82-%CE%AC%CF%81%CF%84%CE%B1%CF%82