Ponte Scaligero
The Ponte Scaligero ( German : Scaliger Bridge ) is a medieval bridge in Verona over the Adige . The bridge was built between 1354 and 1356 by Cangrande II. Della Scala in order to provide him with a safe escape route from the connected castle of the same name in the event of a rebellion of the population due to his tyrannical rule . It is named after the Scaliger family, the rulers of Verona at that time. The construction was so robust that it remained undamaged for five centuries despite a heavy flood, until French troops destroyed the tower on the left bank in 1802 after the Peace of Lunéville and removed or walled up most of the battlements. In 1824 the damaged main pillar was restored, ten years later the walls were rebuilt and the bridge walkway reopened.
The bridge, like the Ponte Pietra , was largely destroyed during the retreat of the German troops on April 24, 1945. A faithful restoration began in 1949 and was completed in 1951, with the exception of the left tower.
It rests on three segment arches with a span of 24 m, 27 m and 48.7 m; the latter was the largest arch bridge in the world at the time of its completion. Overall, the bridge is 133 m long and 7.55 m wide.
See also
Other very large medieval bridges
- Puente del Diablo (Martorell) (37.3 m wingspan)
- Puente de San Martín (Toledo) (40 m span)
- Pont du Diable (Céret) (45.45 m span)
- Pont Grand (Tournon) (49.20 m span)
- Trezzo Bridge (72 m span)
Web links
- Scaliger Bridge - detailed information
- Bridge web: Ponte Scaligero
- Ponte Scaligero. In: Structurae
Coordinates: 45 ° 26 ′ 25 ″ N , 10 ° 59 ′ 14 ″ E