Ponte di San Francesco explained

Bridge Name:Ponte di San Francesco
Crosses:Aniene
Locale:Subiaco, Lazio, Italy
Design:Segmental arch bridge
Material:Stone
Spans:1
Mainspan:37m (121feet)
Open:1358
Mapframe-Zoom:12
Coordinates:41.9242°N 13.0892°W

The Ponte di San Francesco (English: "Bridge of Saint Francis") is a medieval segmental arch bridge over the River Aniene in Subiaco, in the Italian region of Lazio. Constructed in 1358, its single span measures .[1]

The bridge was constructed after the Tivoli-Subiaco conflict in 1358. Subiaco armed men had taken many Tivoli men hostage. The city of Subiaco then paid for the construction of the bridge with the ransom money. The bridge was renovated in 1789 when Pius VI visited Subiaco.[2]

It was underlined in a study by architects Santa Appodia and Lucia Finotti in 1982 that the testimony of the bridge history comes from an anonymous Chronicon (sublacence) dated to 1369.[3]

Other notable historic bridges crossing the Aniene include the ancient Ponte Nomentano and Ponte Salario, both of which were also fortified with a tower.

In the 2010s, stones of the bridge's walls started to fall off, yet no renovation was undertaken rapidly[4] (the Subiaco municipality refuted this critic[5]). In 2021, the bridge was selected among the sets of Disney's planned production of Romeo and Juliet.[6]

Notes and References

  1. http://www.tibursuperbum.it/ita/escursioni/subiaco/PonteS.Francesco.htm Il Ponte di S. Francesco
  2. Web site: Subiaco - Il Ponte di S.Francesco . 2024-10-23 . www.tibursuperbum.it.
  3. Appodia . Santa . Finotti . Lucia . 1982 . Il ponte San Francesco in Subiaco . Quaderni turistici . 9.
  4. Web site: Subiaco, crolla il ponte di San Francesco tra l'indifferenza generale . 2024-10-23 . FrosinoneToday . it.
  5. Web site: Subiaco, l’amministrazione replica sul Ponte di San Francesco; tutt’altro che indifferenza . 2024-10-23 . FrosinoneToday . it.
  6. Web site: Redazione . 2021-09-04 . La Disney sceglie Subiaco come location per Romeo e Giulietta . 2024-10-23 . Casilina News . it-IT.