Part of an
arch is ancient: maybe part of the Bridge of Agrippa, built before 12
BC, or of the AURELIUS or “ANTONINUS” BRIDGE built in 147
AD for Antoninus Pius (138/161) or Caracalla (211/217), who was actually called
Marco Aurelius Antoninus
It was
restored in the years 366/367 by the prefect Lucius Aurelius Avianus Symmachus
under Valentinian (364/375 with Valens and Gratian) and called the Bridge of
Valentinian until 589 when a flood of the River Tiber destroyed it
Since then
it was called tremulous BRIDGE, BROKEN BRIDGE or GIANICOLENSE
BRIDGE
It was
rebuilt in 1473/75 maybe by Baccio Pontelli
(about 1450/92) for Sixtus IV Della Rovere (1471/84). He incorporated the ruins
of the ancient bridge in the new construction and used materials taken from the
Colosseum
The bridge
was financed with money from the taxes levied on the “public whores” or
prostitutes under the control of the church
One of the
pillars was restored in 1567 by Matteo Bartolani da
Città di Castello (about 1527/about 1598) for Pius IV Medici (1559/65)
In 1998 the
parapets were rebuilt according to the original design and the damaged metal
walkways added in 1877 were removed
It is 108 m
(354 feet) long and 11 m (36 feet) wide
It seems
that Sixtus IV had decided to build the bridge because when he was still a
cardinal he had lived in the Convent of S. Salvatore in Onda in Via dei
Pettinari and so he knew well how the construction of the new bridge would have
facilitated communications in this area of Rome
It is
the only bridge in Rome constructed between antiquity and the nineteenth
century
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