Ponte Visconteo
The Ponte Visconteo is a medieval dam and bridge structure with the character of a fortress. It is located in the Italian region of Veneto , near Valeggio sul Mincio , in the small mill town of Borghetto.
Building
The structure is 650 m long and about 21 m wide, 100,000 m³ of earth were moved to fill the dam. It stretches in an east-west direction across the valley of the Mincio and spans the Mincio river, the Virgilio canal and some smaller paths and watercourses. On the dam are the ruins of three fortresses, the middle of which is right next to the river.
From left (W) to right (O) are crossed:
- the Virgilio canal with the accompanying path
- the Mincio diversion canal
- the Mincio river
- a former railway line ( Mantua - Peschiera del Garda )
- the canal Seriola
history
The Ponte Visconteo was built from 1393-1395 by the Duke of Milan Gian Galeazzo Visconti . The construction work was entrusted to the fortress builder Dominico da Firenze. The dam was intended to divert the water of the Mincio and thus withdraw the water from the city of Mantua. It was hoped that Mantua would be easier to conquer without its moat, which was fed by the Mincio. However, technical complications and historical events prevented this plan from being implemented. In the conflict with Venice in 1438, the building was used to block a Venetian access to Lake Garda ( Galeas per montes ). After that, the plant lost its strategic importance and was exposed to decay.
Changes
In the 1920s, an iron bridge was installed in the facility, which still allows car traffic to cross the Mincio. The Strada Provinciale 3 runs directly on the medieval structure.
outlook
Although some restoration work has been done recently, the state of preservation is still critical. In 2007 the Ponte Visconteo was added to the list of 100 endangered monuments of the World Monuments Fund (WMF).
Festivals
Every year on the third Tuesday in June the municipality of Valeggio Sul Mincio organizes the “Festa del Nodo d'Amore” ( Festival of the Knot of Love ) on the bridge to celebrate the tortellini for which the place is famous. For this purpose, 2500–3000 people are entertained at long tables on the bridge.
literature
- Zimmermanns, Klaus: The Veneto. Verona - Vicenza - Padua. Art, culture and landscape of Veneto. Cologne 1990. (DuMont art travel guide)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Festa del Nodo d'Amore , on the municipality's website, accessed February 2020