Ponte di Tiberio

Pons Augustus
Ponte d'Augusto
Coordinates44°03′49″N 12°33′49″E / 44.063689°N 12.563656°E / 44.063689; 12.563656
CarriesVia Aemilia
CrossesMarecchia (ancient Ariminus)
LocaleRimini, Italy
Characteristics
DesignArch bridge
Total length62.6 m (between abutments)
Width8.6 m
Longest span10.6 m
No. of spans5
History
Construction end20 AD
Location

The Bridge of Tiberius (Italian: Ponte di Tiberio) or Bridge of Augustus (Latin: Pons Augustus) is a Roman bridge in Rimini, Italy. The bridge features five semicircular arches made of white Istrian stone with an average span length of ca. 8 m. Above the arches lied niches framed with pilasters carrying entablatures and pediments. They were framed on the arch bridge's walls. Modillions supported cornices were covered by a coping at the top. An inscription commemorating the construction of the bridges was located near the coping.[1] Construction work started during Augustus' reign and was finished under his successor Tiberius in 20 AD; an inscription thus calls the structure as "given by both emperors".[2] The bridge was the only crossing of the Marecchia not destroyed by the retreating German army during the Battle of Rimini as it was judged militarily pointless.[3]

The bridge is still open to pedestrian traffic, and motor vehicles with the exception of heavy goods vehicles were allowed to cross until the COVID pandemic. In 2014 a project called "The Tiberio Project" aimed to re-organize the road system near the bridge and redevelop the entire area of San Giuliano a mare. The bridge was permanently pedestrianized on May 30, 2020.[4]

See also

References

  1. Whitney, Charles S. (2003-01-01). Bridges of the World: Their Design and Construction. Courier Corporation. p. 63. ISBN 978-0-486-42995-3.
  2. O’Connor 1993, p. 84
  3. "German Tactics in the Italian Campaign". Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  4. Redazione (2016-04-14). "Rimini, un comparto dopo l'altro si realizza il Progetto Tiberio". Emilia Romagna News 24 (in Italian). Retrieved 2023-04-28.

Further reading

  • O’Connor, Colin (1993). Roman Bridges. Cambridge University Press. pp. 84f. (I117). ISBN 0-521-39326-4.

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