There Once Was In Rome...

Just south of the Tiber Island, where the river makes its last bend before leaving the central districts, in the middle of the river stands a large ruin, the only surviving arch of an old bridge. Its upper part still proudly bears reliefs featuring a dragon, the family insignia of pope Gregory XIII (1572-85). Now it is commonly known as Ponte Rotto, i.e. broken bridge, but during its long life it has been given no less than ten different names.

	two views of the ruin: ← from the eastern bank and from Cestius Bridge ↑

On this rather crucial spot the two sides of the Tiber have been in connection since the 3nd century BC. Initially, there was a simple wooden bridge, similar to another one built further south, called Sublicius Bridge. At the beginning of the 2nd century BC they were both destroyed by a flood; the two censors Marcus Aemilius Laepidus and Marcus Fulvius Nobilior were then chosen as supervisors for the making of a stone structure, likely the first one of its kind built in Rome. This gives reason for the very long time it took to be completed: over 35 years! However, it was also the longest among Rome's ancient bridges: its span measured over 150 m (165 yards). It was named Pons Aemilius, after one of the two officers. In those days the western side of the river (Transtiberim, now the district of Trastevere) was already inhabited by a Jewish community, and by occasional dwellers such as foreing merchants and tradesmen who came to Rome for business purposes.		Pons Aemilius (arrow) and its surroundings in ancient Rome

On the other side of the bridge stood Porta Flumentana, one of the gates of the old set of city walls (see Servian Walls). As shown in the simplified map above, for those who entered the city from the west this bridge led to the Capitolium Hill, where Rome's most important temple stood (), to the Roman Forum (‚), and to the Circus Maximus (ƒ), three among ancient Rome's main spots.

	Being located next to a river bend, where the water turbulence is stronger, and just past the island, which made the river-bed narrower thus increasing the speed of the current, the bridge was subject to a continuous wear; only two centuries after its making, major restoration works had to be carried out for the first time, under emperor Octavianus Augustus. On this occasion it was renamed Pons Maximus, to remark its length. It is said that in AD 221 the raging crowd flung into the Tiber the corpse of the hated emperor Helagabalus from this very bridge. a 1472 map features it as Pons Sancte Marie; also note how in those days a small stream flowed into the Tiber just past the bridge

Being located next to a river bend, where the water turbulence is stronger, and just past the island, which made the river-bed narrower thus increasing the speed of the current, the bridge was subject to a continuous wear; only two centuries after its making, major restoration works had to be carried out for the first time, under emperor Octavianus Augustus. On this occasion it was renamed Pons Maximus, to remark its length.

It is said that in AD 221 the raging crowd flung into the Tiber the corpse of the hated emperor Helagabalus from this very bridge.

a 1472 map features it as Pons Sancte Marie;
also note how in those days a small stream flowed
into the Tiber just past the bridge

Its name changed again in the 9th century, when one of the two temples on the eastern side of the river was turned into a church, called Santa Maria Egiziaca; the people began to use the same name Santa Maria for the bridge, as well. However, during the Middle Ages the names of Rome's landmarks changed quite often, and this bridge made no exception, having been referred to with a variety of other names. One of them was Pons Senatorius ("Senators Bridge"), following a full restoration carried out at the expense of the Senators, Rome's main administrators, in whose memory a large commemorative plaque had been set there as a tribute, similar to the one now found on Cestius Bridge (see The Tiber Island). Other names were:	15th century fresco: St. Francesca Romana miraculously heals the badly severed arm of a man encountered on Santa Maria Bridge

Its name changed again in the 9th century, when one of the two temples on the eastern side of the river was turned into a church, called Santa Maria Egiziaca; the people began to use the same name Santa Maria for the bridge, as well. However, during the Middle Ages the names of Rome's landmarks changed quite often, and this bridge made no exception, having been referred to with a variety of other names. One of them was Pons Senatorius ("Senators Bridge"), following a full restoration carried out at the expense of the Senators, Rome's main administrators, in whose memory a large commemorative plaque had been set there as a tribute, similar to the one now found on Cestius Bridge (see The Tiber Island).
Other names were:

15th century fresco: St. Francesca Romana miraculously heals
the badly severed arm of a man encountered on Santa Maria Bridge

Pons Fulvius, after the other roman supervisor;

Pons Lepidus, after the second name of the first supervisor;

Pons Lapideus, i.e. "Stone Bridge" (probably, a corruption of the previous name);

Pons Consularis, i.e. "Consular Bridge";

Pons Palatinus, after the nearby Palatine hill.

	Meanwhile, Trastevere district was rapidly growing once again on the western bank of the Tiber, and Santa Maria Bridge represented the main approach to the city for its many inhabitants. However, the stone structure kept suffering damages from the water flow; in the 13th century it collapsed. Once rebuilt, probably not too skilfully, it was badly damaged again two centuries later. this map (c.1550) calls the bridge Pons Senatorius

Meanwhile, Trastevere district was rapidly growing once again on the western bank of the Tiber, and Santa Maria Bridge represented the main approach to the city for its many inhabitants.
However, the stone structure kept suffering damages from the water flow; in the 13th century it collapsed. Once rebuilt, probably not too skilfully, it was badly damaged again two centuries later.

this map (c.1550) calls the bridge Pons Senatorius

The Renaissance brought no better luck to Santa Maria Bridge, a.k.a. Senators Bridge; despite a restoration had been recently carried out, in 1557 it was completely swept away by a flood. It took 25 years before pope Gregory XIII decided to rebuild it. By the end of the same century, Trastevere district could be finally provided with running water thanks to a set of leaden pipes that crossed the river along this bridge. But alas! In 1598, on Christmas Eve, the worst flood that Rome ever faced in its whole history - the water grew over 5 metres above the street level - smashed the arches of the bridge's eastern half, facing the central districts.	again called pons Sanctae Mariae, in a beautiful view from a map of 1593

The Renaissance brought no better luck to Santa Maria Bridge, a.k.a. Senators Bridge; despite a restoration had been recently carried out, in 1557 it was completely swept away by a flood. It took 25 years before pope Gregory XIII decided to rebuild it. By the end of the same century, Trastevere district could be finally provided with running water thanks to a set of leaden pipes that crossed the river along this bridge.

But alas! In 1598, on Christmas Eve, the worst flood that Rome ever faced in its whole history - the water grew over 5 metres above the street level - smashed the arches of the bridge's eastern half, facing the central districts.

again called pons Sanctae Mariae, in a beautiful view from a map of 1593

the ruin, already called Broken Bridge, in an etching by Giuseppe Vasi (c.1750)	No pope nor administrator dared to restore it, leaving it broken ever since. This was worth the part left standing its ultimate and most popular name, Ponte Rotto. During the following centuries the people used it merely as a pier for fishing. Curiously, during the centuries also two other bridges bore this nickname (or its Latin equivalent Pons Fractus) after being damaged, but later on they were either completely rebuilt (Sixtus Bridge) or completely demolished (Sublicius Bridge).

the ruin, already called Broken Bridge, in an etching by Giuseppe Vasi (c.1750)

No pope nor administrator dared to restore it, leaving it broken ever since. This was worth the part left standing its ultimate and most popular name, Ponte Rotto.
During the following centuries the people used it merely as a pier for fishing.

Curiously, during the centuries also two other bridges bore this nickname (or its Latin equivalent Pons Fractus) after being damaged, but later on they were either completely rebuilt (Sixtus Bridge) or completely demolished (Sublicius Bridge).

In 1853, thanks to the new industrial technologies, Pius IX had an iron footbridge made to fill the missing part of Ponte Rotto: after over 300 years it spanned again from side to side. The old picture on the right clearly shows what it looked like in those days. Very soon, though, its stone structure, which had become too weak to support the heavy metal extension, became unsteady.	the bridge with the iron extension (right), in the second half of the 1800s

For safety reasons, in 1887 the footbridge was removed and a brand new bridge called Ponte Palatino (one of the historical names retrieved) was built on the same spot, so close to the old one, that to enable its making also the western end of Ponte Rotto had to be demolished; only its central arch was spared, probably because it would have been too expensive to pull down the whole thing.

(↑ above) the bridge's bay covered with vegetation and the coat of arms of Gregory XIII on a surviving archway (→ right)		Now this ruin, covered by weeds sprung from its crevices, which give it an even more dramatic look, stands in the middle of the river as a living memory of the sleeping yet tremendous destructive power of the Tiber.