Pons Augustus
Encyclopedia
The Ponte d'Augusto or Bridge of Tiberius is a Roman bridge
in Rimini
, Italy
. The bridge features five semicircular arch
es with an average span length of ca. 8 m. 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".
The bridge was the only crossing of the Marecchia
not destroyed by the retreating German army during the Battle of Rimini
and is said to have resisted all attempts at destruction, including the ignition failure of explosive charges.
The bridge is still open to pedestrian and vehicular traffic, with the exception of heavy goods vehicles.
Roman bridge
Roman bridges, built by ancient Romans, were the first large and lasting bridges built. Roman bridges were built with stone and had the arch as its basic structure....
in Rimini
Rimini
Rimini is a medium-sized city of 142,579 inhabitants in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, and capital city of the Province of Rimini. It is located on the Adriatic Sea, on the coast between the rivers Marecchia and Ausa...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. The bridge features five semicircular arch
Arch
An arch is a structure that spans a space and supports a load. Arches appeared as early as the 2nd millennium BC in Mesopotamian brick architecture and their systematic use started with the Ancient Romans who were the first to apply the technique to a wide range of structures.-Technical aspects:The...
es with an average span length of ca. 8 m. Construction work started during Augustus
Augustus
Augustus ;23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14) is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.The dates of his rule are contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian...
' reign and was finished under his successor Tiberius
Tiberius
Tiberius , was Roman Emperor from 14 AD to 37 AD. Tiberius was by birth a Claudian, son of Tiberius Claudius Nero and Livia Drusilla. His mother divorced Nero and married Augustus in 39 BC, making him a step-son of Octavian...
in 20 AD; an inscription thus calls the structure as "given by both emperors".
The bridge was the only crossing of the Marecchia
Marecchia
The Marecchia is a river in eastern Italy. In ancient times it was known as the Ariminus which was from the Greek Ariminos, Αριμινος . The source of the river is east of Pieve Santo Stefano and southwest of Badia Tedalda in the province of Arezzo in Tuscany...
not destroyed by the retreating German army during the Battle of Rimini
Battle of Rimini (1944)
The Battle of Rimini took place in between 13 and 21 September 1944 during Operation Olive, the main Allied offensive on the Gothic Line in August and September 1944, part of the Italian Campaign in the Second World War. Rimini, a town on the Adriatic coast of Italy, anchored the Rimini Line, a...
and is said to have resisted all attempts at destruction, including the ignition failure of explosive charges.
The bridge is still open to pedestrian and vehicular traffic, with the exception of heavy goods vehicles.
External links
- Traianus – Technical investigation of Roman public works