Ponte Milvio
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Ponte Milvio (Milvian Bridge) (Pons Milvius) |
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 Ponte Milvio over the Tiber |
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| Crosses | Tiber |
| Locale | Rome, Italy |
| Design | Arch bridge |
| Material | Stone, brick |
| Number of spans | 6 |
| Longest span | 18.55 m |
| Total length | 136 m |
| Width | 8.75 m |
| Completion date | 115 BC (stone bridge) |
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The Milvian (or Mulvian) Bridge (Italian: Ponte Molle or Ponte Milvio, Latin: Pons Milvius or Pons Mulvius) in northern Rome, Italy, is one of the most important bridges over the Tiber.
[edit] History
The bridge was built by consul Gaius Claudius Nero in 206 BC, after he had defeated the Carthaginan army in the Battle of the Metaurus. In 115 BC, consul Marcus Aemilius Scaurus built a new bridge made of stone in the same position, demolishing the old one. In 312, Constantine I defeated his stronger rival Maxentius between this bridge and Saxa Rubra, in the famous Battle of Milvian Bridge.
During the Middle Ages, the bridge was renovated by a monk named Acuzio, and in 1429 Pope Martin V asked a famous architect, Francesco da Genazzano, to repair the collapsing bridge. During the 18th and 19th centuries, the bridge was modified by two artists, Giuseppe Valadier and Domenico Pigiani.
In late 2006, the bridge began attracting couples, who use a lamppost on the bridge to hang padlocks as a sign of their love. The ritual involves the couple locking the padlock to the lamppost, then throwing the key behind them into the Tiber. The ritual was invented by author Federico Moccia for his popular book and movie "I Want You".
After April 13, 2007, couples had to stop this habit because that day the lamppost, owing to the weight of all padlocks, partially collapsed. As a replacement, a web site has been created allowing couples to use virtual padlocks[1] From July 2007, for people in love, it's possible to hang padlocks again thanks to steel columns put by the mayor.[2]
[edit] References
- ^ Lucchetti Ponte Milvio
- ^ Fisher, Ian (2007-08-05), "Locks of love clutter Rome's oldest bridge", International Herald Tribune, http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/08/05/africa/rome.php, retrieved on 2009-02-03
[edit] Sources
- O’Connor, Colin (1993), Roman Bridges, Cambridge University Press, pp. 64f., ISBN 0-521-39326-4
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
Media related to Ponte Milvio at Wikimedia Commons- Pons Mulvius (II) in the Structurae database
- Ritual draws sweethearts to Rome bridge article describing the padlock ritual
- Google Map
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Coordinates: 41°56′08″N 12°28′01″E / 41.93556°N 12.46694°E
