More than 520 white stone blocks, cut by the Romans to rebuild their bridge over the River Adige, were salvaged from the riverbed at Verona, Veneto, Italy, after German troops blew up four of the five ancient arches in April 1945. The blocks were re-used when the donkey-back Ponte Pietra was rebuilt in 1957-9, and much of the medieval and 16th century brickwork was also dredged up to re-create its three western arches. The Roman stone arch on the left in this view has survived 2,000 years of floods, bridge collapses and wartime explosions.
Verona, Veneto, Italy: more than 520 blocks of white stone, cut by the Romans to rebuild their Pons Marmoreus over the Adige, had to be salvaged from the riverbed after German troops blew up four of the five ancient arches on 25 April 1945, days before World War II fighting ended in Europe. The stones were re-used when the donkey-back bridge was rebuilt in 1957-9, mixed with newly-cut stone and ancient re-worked pieces. Much of the medieval and 16th century brickwork was also dredged up to re-create the bridge’s three western arches. In this view from the east riverbank, the Roman stone arch on the left is the only one to have survived 2,000 years of floods, bridge collapses and exploding German mines. The two brick and stone arches flanking the round central floodwater hole are 1500s Venetian work rebuilt in 1957-9, while the westernmost arch was reconstructed in 1298 by Alberto I della Scala, lord of Verona, before also being rebuilt in the 1950s. Rising beyond the bridge is the 15th century brick bell-tower of the Church of Santa Anastasia. The first bridge to span the fast-flowing alpine waters here was probably made of wood. From 148 BC it carried the Via Postumia, the Roman road linking Genoa in northern Italy’s far west to Aquileia in the far east. The Pons Marmoreus also gave Roman Verona’s citizens easy access to their theatre on the east bank. The Romans rebuilt the bridge in white stone, but it could fail when the Adige was in full spate, collapsing in 1007, 1153, 1232, 1239 and 1503. It was rebuilt after each collapse and after the rebuild in 1520, many wooden houses, huts, shops and taverns accumulated on the structure, now known as Ponte Pietra (Stone Bridge). The medieval watchtower at the west end of the (304 ft) span was matched by another at the east end. The east tower was demolished in 1801 and the city then cleared the homes, shops and taverns, declaring them incompatible with the bridge’s Roman grandeur.
Size: 4173px × 2786px
Location: Verona, Veneto, Italy
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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