Roman Bridge (Saint-Thibéry)
Coordinates: 43 ° 23 ′ 34 " N , 3 ° 25 ′ 58" E
| Roman bridge | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Convicted | Via Domitia | |
| Crossing of | Herault | |
| place | Saint-Thibéry ( France ) | |
| construction | Segment arch bridge with vaulted vaults | |
| overall length | Originally about 150 m | |
| width | 4 m | |
| Number of openings | 9 | |
| Clear width | 10-12 m | |
| Arrow ratio | Min. 3.3: 1 | |
| Arch slenderness | 20: 1 to 10: 1 | |
| Status | Expired | |
| location | ||
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The Roman Bridge of Saint-Thibéry ( French: Pont romain de Saint-Thibery ) was a Roman segment arch bridge on the Via Domitia in southern France . The partially preserved structure led in the place Saint-Thibéry , seventeen kilometers east of Béziers , over the river Hérault .
construction
The bridge had nine arches with a span of 10 m to 12 m. The roadway rested on wide pillars, which were reinforced on both sides with arched flood passages and mighty breakwaters to protect against flooding and undercutting. The original total length of the structure is estimated at around 150 m, the street width at 4 m. Parts of the bridge were destroyed by a flood at an unknown date prior to 1536.
The remaining arches have a width-to-height ratio of min. 3.3: 1 has a visibly flatter contour (115 °) than the round arches (180 °) otherwise preferred by Roman bridge builders . The wall thickness of the individual vaults is between one twentieth and one tenth of the span in the normal range of Roman bridges. The building is dated to the reign of Augustus (30 BC – 14 AD); the Roman origin is, however, not undisputed.
In the immediate vicinity there is an old water mill and its inlet.
Individual evidence
literature
- Colin O'Connor: Roman Bridges , Cambridge University Press 1993, ISBN 0-521-39326-4 , pp. 98-99, 169-171
