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Ponte Sublicio Ponte Sublicio | |
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| Coordinates | 41°53′00″N12°28′31″E / 41.883261°N 12.475233°E /41.883261; 12.475233 |
| Crosses | Tiber |
| Locale | Rome (Italy) |
| Characteristics | |
| Total length | 105.55 metres (346.3 ft) |
| Width | 20 metres (66 ft) |
| History | |
| Construction end | rebuilt in 1918 |
| Location | |
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Ponte Sublicio, also known asPonte Aventino orPonte Marmoreo, is abridge linking Piazza dell'Emporio to Piazza di Porta Portese inRome (Italy), in theRioniRipa,Trastevere andTestaccio and in theQuartierePortuense.
The most ancient bridge in Rome crossed riverTiber just downstream of theTiber Island, in correspondence with the former ford that, during the protohistoric age, was a required stop along the north-south way, at the feet of theAventine Hill. Its building has been ascribed to KingAncus Marcius (642 - 617 BC) byLivy andDionysius of Halicarnassus[citation needed].
The name comes from theVolscian wordsublica, meaning "wood planks". In effect the bridge had been entirely built with wood and it is famous for the mythical episode ofHoratius Cocles, during the first years of theRoman Republic[citation needed].
The present bridge, bearing the same name of the ancient one, was built in 1918 after a design byMarcello Piacentini[citation needed]; it links the two banks of the Tiber in correspondence to Piazza di Porta Portese and Piazza dell'Emporio.
No remains are left of the ancient bridge, but it rose in correspondence to the present Via del Porto (probably close to the present Via di Ripa, as suggested by the text "Roma, Il primo giorno" by A. Carandini - Laterza, 2012), at the north end of the monumental complex ofSan Michele a Ripa Grande.
The religious tradition (originated by the necessity to easily disassemble the bridge for defense purposes) prescribed that no other material than wood could be used. The bridge was held sacred (the designation "pontiff" orpontifex derives from the termpons) and archaic ceremonies were played on it, among which the throwing into the river of theArgei, or straw puppets (maybe a recollection of more ancient human sacrifices) during the ceremony calledLemuria.
The bridge withstood several restorations and reconstructions (60 BC, 32 BC, 23 BC, 5 AD, 69 AD, underAntoninus Pius and maybe under EmperorsTrajan,Marcus Aurelius andSeptimius Severus). On the imperial-age monetary depictions, the far ends of the bridge show arches with statues.
Remarkable remains of the bridge had been visible in the bed of Tiber until 1890 or so, when they were completely demolished during the works for the adaptation of the urban stretch of the river, as a preventive measure against floods.