Bridge of Tiberius (Ponte d’Augusto)

Tiberius Bridge is the calling card of the city of Rimini. The age of this landmark is 2000 years old. The bridge impresses with its durability – nowadays it is not only used by citizens and tourists, but also by all kinds of transportation. Tiberius Bridge stands on the Marecchia River, connecting the Old Town and the San Giuliano district, which is also known as the Fellini Quarter. The arched structure looks especially spectacular after sunset, when the illuminations are turned on.

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Video: Tiberius Bridge

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General Information

The official name of the structure is Ponte di Tiberio. Tiberio Bridge is 5-arched, its length reaches 62.6 meters, width – 8.6 meters. The monumental structure is made of travertine. In ancient times, such stone was used by craftsmen only for the construction of the most significant projects, such as the Colosseum in Rome and St. Peter’s Cathedral in the Vatican. Travertine had to be sanded by hand for years to give it the desired shape.

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The Tiberius Bridge was designed by the famous Roman architect and mechanic Marcus Vitruvius Pollion, who lived in the 1st century B.C. He is also the author of the treatise De architectura libri decem (“Ten Books on Architecture”), dedicated to Emperor Augustus and at that time was the only book on architecture in Latin. According to Vitruvius, the most important qualities of buildings should be utilitas – usefulness, firmitas – durability and venustas – attractiveness. Tiberius’ bridge is 100% up to the architect’s standards.

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Interesting fact: Leonardo da Vinci’s most famous drawing is associated with the name Vitruvius. The Vitruvian Man is an illustration for a book dedicated to the architect’s works. Vitruvius was the author of the ergonomic system of proportioning. The figure of a man inscribed in a circle conforms to the canonical proportions given in Chapter I of Volume III.

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The Bridge of Tiberius is perfectly preserved, thanks to competent architectural decisions. The Marecchia River was quite full and periodically overflowed its banks, so the pylons are set at an incline and connected to each other, which gives them stability. In addition, the bridge piers used to be supported by breakwaters that slowed down the current. Today you can see remnants of them.

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History of Tiberius Bridge

The ancient Roman bridge was under construction from 14 to 21. Work began under Octavian Augustus and was completed under his successor, Tiberius Caesar Augustus, after whom the bridge was named.

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In 580, Tiberius’ bridge was severely damaged during a battle between the Goths and the Byzantines. It stood in ruins for a full eleven centuries. Pope Innocent XI ordered the restoration of the city landmark in 1680.

In 1742, the bridge was damaged again. This time the Spanish troops “tried their best”. It was restored 40 years later, in honor of which an inscription is left between the first two arches: “Restored in 1782”. Since 1885, the Tiberius Bridge has been recognized as a national treasure.

The 20th century also made the structure undergo a test of strength. Thus, during the Second World War, the bridge withstood bombing raids by US aircraft. Then it was unsuccessfully tried to undermine the Germans leaving Rimini.

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Legend of the bridge

Locals refer to Tiberius’ bridge as the “damn bridge” and also as the “devil’s bridge”. The structure has been timeless for two millennia – was it not without the intervention of dark forces?

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According to legend, the construction of the bridge initially failed. For 7 years it was built, but it immediately fell apart. Prayers to the gods didn’t help.

Desperate, Emperor Tiberius made a deal with the devil. The ruler wanted a bridge that would stand forever, and no one would be able to destroy it. In return, the unclean demanded to give the soul of the one who would be the first to cross the bridge. The devil expected that it would be Tiberius himself.

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The agreement was made, and in just one night in Rimini appeared the legendary bridge. The savvy emperor let a dog walk across it, its soul and went to pay off the devil – a deal is a deal! Satan got angry and unleashed all his anger on the bridge, trying to turn it into a ruin. But it didn’t! Tiberius’ bridge stood firm, for it was created indestructible. It seems that if you look closely at the parapet, you can still see the marks of the devil’s hooves on it…

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How to get there

Tiberius Bridge is located in the historic part of Rimini. From the Arch of Augusta, it can be reached in 15 minutes by walking along Via Corso Augusta until it stops.

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Another option is to take bus #1 to the Via D’Azeglio or Ducale stop and walk to the bridge from there. The bus is easily recognizable by the inscription Rimini Storico, as it runs through the Old Town.

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