THE BRIDGES OF ROME

The millenary bridges of the Tiber, and the monuments which line it, are the ideal setting for a brief cruise which allows you to discover a river full of history, forgotten for too many centuries, which has finally made a big comeback in Romes’ tourism and social life.

The bridges and the river itself, have always held religious significance for the Romans, so much so that the builders of these bridges; the Pontifices, had sacerdotal powers. Ancient Romes’ life depended on the river, which was their means of connecting, and the city’s most important resource. It is from the river that many myths and legends originate which, although they maybe misterious, contain elements which can help us comprehend some of the more archaic aspects of the history of Rome. Rome seen from the river, still today, means reliving that remote atmosphere and seizing the real dimension of a city which was created and developed around this river, and of a river, which lives in symbiosis with its city.

PONTE FABRICIO E PONTE CESTIO - FABRICIO BRIDGE AND CESTIO BRIDGE

Built half a century before the christian era, by the consul L. Fabricio and by Lucio Gaio Cestio, the two bridges link the Tiberina Island to the mainland, and can be entered from both the left bank and the right bank. The strategic position of the island, as well as it being used as a barn by wealthy landowners, gave the two bridges particular importance. The bridges being two arms where floating mills were moored, allowing food and energy to be supplied constantly to the city. This probably explains the arcaic worshipping of Fauno, misterious rural divinity, to whom a special votive altar has been dedicated. However the more popular cult which originated on the Tiberina island and it’s bridges, was that of Esculapio, God of medicine, whose sacred symbol, a snake, was taken from the greek sanctuary of Epidauro by the Romans, in an attempt to stop the outbreak of plague in 293 b.c.

According to legend, the snake, transported to Rome on a ship, slid into the water and hid on the island. From that moment the plague miraculously came to an end on the island, declared sacred, a temple was erected to the god Esculapio, where today the Church of Saint Bartolomeo stands.

The devotion to the God of medicine turned the island into a place of cure for the ill; a tradition alive still today in the ancient building which houses the Fatebenefratelli hospital.

 PONTE GARIBALDI - GARIBALDI BRIDGE

Was constructed in 1888, planned by the Architect Vescovalli it is 120mts. long, and was at the time the third longest bridge in the world surpassed only by two bridges on the River Senna. The bridge which connects Via Arenula to Trastevere, is dedicated to ‘The Hero of The Two Worlds’, whose leggendary deeds are engraved on the marble columns.

 PONTE SISTO - SISTO BRIDGE

Built in1475 by Pope Sisto IV (to substitute the ancient Aurelio bridge which had been damaged seven centuries earlier), has four arches with a large central hole (commonly known as ‘occhialone’- eye), its function is to indicate any variation in the water level. In the vicinity of the Sisto bridge is the Palazzo Spada and Piazza Trilussa dedicated to the Roman poet.

 PONTE MAZZINI - MAZZINI BRIDGE

Open to traffic in the early 900’s, it has three arches with pierced parapets in stone. It links Via Giulia to Via della Lungara where the old Regina Coeli Prison is located.

PONTE PRINCIPE AMEDEO - PRINCE AMEDEO BRIDGE

Is 110mts. long with three arches in brickwork, it was open to traffic in 1942 and is dedicated to Prince Amedeo of Savoia, who died that year during a battle to save Amba Alagi. It links Piazza della Rovere (at the bottom of the Gianicolo) to the Lungotevere dei Fiorentini.

PONTE VITTORIO EMANUELE -   VITTORIO EMANUELE BRIDGE

Dedicated to the first King of Italy, the bridge was inaugurated in 1911, during Italy’s fiftieth anniversary celebrations. It is 108 mts. long with three arches in brickwork and is decorated with two large bronze statues representing the Victory and by four allegorical groups which symbolize the Uniting of Italy, freedom, oppression and loyalty to the statute. The bridge connects the Corso Vittorio Emanuele to St. Peters.

PONTE SANT’ANGELO - SANT’ANGELO BRIDGE

The constructing of this bridge which dates back to the year 126 a.c. wanted by the Emperor Elio Adriano, from whom it acquired its name, to access the grand mausoleum which he had had erected and in which he was to be buried two years later. The bridge acquired its actual name in the 600’s when Pope Gregorio Magno had, leggend tells us, a vision of the Angel putting a sword back in its holder therefore this divine anger had ceased, and with it so had the plague.

At the same time, the mausoleum of Adriano changed name and its function, from imperial tomb it became the Castle of Saint Angelo, fortress of the Popes. 135 mts. long with five arches decorated with statues of angels, it is the most beautiful bridge in Rome and the most significative bridge in papacy history.

PONTE UMBERTO 1° - UMBERTO 1° BRIDGE

Inaugurated in 1895 from designs of the arcitect Vescovalli. On the right bank is the old courthouse known as the ‘Palazzaccio’; on the left bank are the Napoleonic Museum and the Military Supreme Court, and nearby the ancient Hotel Albergo dell’Orso, who boasts amongst its guests, Dante Alighieri, Rabelais, Montaigne and Goethe.

PONTE CAVOUR - CAVOUR BRIDGE

Built in 1902 designed by the architect Vescovalli, the Cavour Bridge links up the Piazza Cavour with Via Ripetta and the centre of Rome and ‘marks’ the location where the Ripetta river port arose, and was later demolished as there was less and less a need for it as ‘traffic’ diminished along the Tiber River.

PONTE REGINA MARGHERITA - QUEEN MARGHERITA BRIDGE

Inaugurated in 1891, and dedicated to Margherita of Savoia, first Queen of Italy, esteemed and loved by the Italians for her culture and refined manner.

It is 103 mts. long, the bridge has three arches in brick work and links the popular suburb of Prati with Piazza del Popolo.

PONTE RISORGIMENTO - RISORGIMENTO BRIDGE

Bold and elegant construction in reinforced cement with one arch, covered in stone similar to travertine, it was designed by the architect Hennebique and was inaugurated in 1910, in honour of all those who fought in the Wars of Indipendence, therefore contributing to the Italian Renaissance.

The bridge is 159 mts. long and 20 mts. wide, it links the suburb Mazzini to the Parioli suburb.

PONTE DUCA D’AOSTA - DUCA D’AOSTA BRIDGE

Designed by the architect V. Fasolo it was inaugurated in in 1942, and is the most elegant of Romes modern bridges. Named after the Duke Emanuele Filiberto of Savoia-Aosta, brave veteran of the first World War.

It is 220 mts. long and 30 mts. wide, it links the suburb Flaminio to the Foro Italico (Forum), the heart of Rome’s sporting events, where the city’s two main stadiums are located; The Olympic stadium and the Stadium dei Marmi.

 PONTE MATTEOTTI - MATTEOTTI BRIDGE

Built during the fascist period, designed by the architect Antonelli, it is 133.50 mts. long and 20 mts. wide with three arches and two holes. It was constructed in tufa and covered in bricks traditonally used by ancient Romans. When the facsist period ended, the bridge was dedicated to Giacomo Matteotti, the socialist party representative who was assassinated in 1924 near the bridge, where a modern sculpture has been placed in his memory.

PONTE MILVIO - MILVIO BRIDGE

The origins of this ancient bridge are somewhat uncertain, leading character and witness of a number of important historical events.

According to a number of sources, it was built by the censor Emilio Scauro in year 109 a.c. in the vicinity of the more ancient wooden bridge; Ponte-Mollo (Mollo Bridge), which still exsists today.

Situated at the intersection of majior (consular) roads; Flaminia, Cassia, Clodia, and Veientana, Milvio Bridge played a strategic role, as the large defense tower situated on the right bank suggests.

In Republican Rome, near the Milvio Bridge, a battle took place between the troops of Catullo and Pompeo. Many centuries later, in 312 a.c., Costantines army fought, at Saxa Rubra, with that of Massenzio, in the battle which was to mark the triumph of christianity.

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