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The Three-arched Bridge

by Ismail Kadare

Cover of The Three-arched Bridge
Popularity 16

When the construction of a bridge built to link the Balkans to Europe is repeatedly and mysteriously sabotaged, an old ballad starts making the rounds at local taverns. The bards sing of a legend – a woman immured in a castle wall to prevent it from falling. Some say the bridge is being damaged by local ferrymen, others blame the vengeful water spirits. But this is a town where terror and superstition reign and a solution must be reached. So it is decreed: a willing person must be plastered into the bridge…

FictionBridgesHistoryDesign and constructionFiction, generalAlbania, fictionFiction, historical, general