Roman Bridges

  • The Roman Bridge used a semi-circular arch which could carry a road or an aqueduct and became the basis for the expansion of the Roman Empire.
  • The Romans were able to bridge rivers and valleys by using an arcade of arches with the road or aqueduct on top.

The Roman Arch

  • Although the semi-circular arch was used by Ancient Greece, Persia and Mesopotamia, it wasn’t used in Buildings. It was the Romans who adopted this arch as the basis of their Architecture.

Wooden Bridges

  • Pons Sublicius (4th-3rd century BCE)
    • The first Roman Bridges were constructed using wood. The Pons Sublicius was rebuilt continuously until 5th century CE. It was the oldest and most famous wooden bridge and was constructed of wood only.
  • Caesar's Bridge across the Rhine
    • In 55 BCE, during the Gallic Wars, Julius Caesar built a Wooden Bridge across the Rhine in 10 days to invade Germania.
    • It was an engineering masterpiece, which had protective Pilings in front of it to prevent fireships and driftwood destroying the structure, and defensive towers at both ends.

Stone Bridges

  • Roman Stone Bridge
    • Stone Bridges then replaced wooden bridges. These were built on stone abutments and used dressed stone for the semi-circular arch, which was held together by an arch stone.
    • Due to their excellent construction, many Roman Bridges have survived. They usually carried roads whilst some carried aqueducts.
  • Pons Aemilius
    • Built in 179 BCE, it was the first stone bridge in Rome and connected the Forum Boarium with the Trastevere area. The bridge carried the Via Aurelia to Pisa.
    • The stone arches were added in 142 BCE. Today there is one arch left, south of Tiber Island..

The Ten Bridges of Ancient Rome

  • Ten bridges crossed the Tiber in Ancient Rome. Two of the ten are still standing in almost their original condition, the Milvian Bridge and the Bridge of Fabricius.
  1. Milvian Bridge (109 BCE)
  2. Aelian Bridge ‘Pons Aelius’ (134 CE)
    • The Bridge of Hadrian or Ponte Sant’ Angelo. Three central arches are original. The bridge leads to the Castel San Angelo.
  3. Neronian Bridge (54-68 CE)
  4. Agrippa’s Bridge (41-54 CE)
    • Only the remains of four piers are visible on right bank, the rest are underwater lying 525 feet (160m) north of Aurelian Bridge.
  5. Aurelian Bridge (211-217 CE)
    • The remains of piers and an entrance arch on the left bank are all that remain.
  6. Fabricius’ Bridge (62 BCE)
    • This is the original and best preserved bridge in Rome. It connects Tiber Island with the East Bank.
    • On the parapet are two marble pillars known as the Quattro Capi which each have a double headed sculpture of Janus.
  7. Cestius Bridge (62-27 BCE)
    • This connects Tiber Island to the West Bank of the Tiber.
    • It was the first stone bridge from Tiber island to the Trastevere area.
    • It was rebuilt in 370 CE. Then rebuilt and lengthened in 1888-92 CE. Only the middle span is original.
  8. Pons Aemilius
    • Built in 179 BCE, the stone arches were added in 142 BCE. Today there is one arch left, south of Tiber Island. It was the first stone bridge in Rome and connected the Forum Boarium with the Trastevere area.
    • The bridge carried the Via Aurelia to Pisa.
    • The Cloaca Maxima emerges between the Pons Aemilius and the Pons Sublicius.
  9. Pons Sublicius (4th-3rd century BCE)
    • Rebuilt continuously until 5th century CE. It was the oldest and most famous wooden bridge constructed of wood only. It was located near the Forum Boarium on the site of the ford across the Tiber, the site is uncertain today, but just south of Tiber Island. In Latin ‘Pons Sublicius’ means bridge built on wooden piles.
  10. Probus’ Bridge (276-282 CE)
    • The bridge was rebuilt in 381-387 CE, but destroyed over the centuries and nothing remains today.

Other Roman Bridges still standing today

Roman Roads

  • Roman Roads
    • The mobility of the Legions to cross the Roman Empire required permanent roads with permanent stone bridges to be built in order to cross the rivers at any time of the year.
  • Via Appia
    • The Via Appia Antica or Appian Way is 350 miles (563 km) long and one of Italy’s oldest Roman Roads. It linked Rome with the port of Brindisi, and was built in 312 BCE by Appius Claudius Caecus.
  • Via Egnatia
    • The Via Egnatia was a 696 mile (1,120km) Roman Road that ran east west across in Greece. It was completed in 120 BCE after 26 years of construction.

Roman Aqueducts

  • The Roman Aqueduct was a miniature canal with stone sections and a lid, built at an incline of 1:100 which skirted the contours of hillsides then crossed valleys using bridges made of arcades of arches.
  • The aqueduct could then stretch for miles over valleys to transport the water great distances.
    • Constantinople, Turkey: 155 miles (250 km)
    • Gadara, Jordan: 105 miles (170 km)
    • Apamea, Syria: 93 miles (150 km)
    • Aqua Augusta, Misenum, Italy: 87 miles (140 km)
    • Zaghouan Aqueduct, Tunisia: 82 miles (132 km)

Partially preserved bridges on Roman Aqueducts

 

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