Built in Roman times, Ponte Pietra (Stone Bridge) is the oldest bridge on the Adige River, in Verona. SHORT HISTORY A first wooden bridge was built on this place during the construction of Via Postumia, in 148 BC. Subsequently, the wooden bridge was replaced by the stone one. In the following centuries, the bridge was damaged many times, mainly due to the flooding of the Adige River, in particular in 1007, in 1153, in 1232 and again in 1239. In 1298, the Lord of Verona Alberto della Scala had the tower on the western bank of the river restored and the adjacent arch rebuilt, while in 1368, his great-grandson, Cansignorio della Scala, built an aqueduct on the same bridge that supplied water to several houses in the historic center of the city. During the same time, the bridge was equipped with a second tower on the eastern bank of the river. In 1508, the City Council asked the architect Fra’ Giocondo to supervise the reconstruction of the Roman bridge, but the work began only in 1520, after the death of the architect, and was finished one year later. After a few centuries of relative tranquility, in 1801, the tower Read more [...]
Tag: Libero Cecchini in Verona
Ponte di Castelvecchio
Ponte di Castelvecchio, also known as Ponte Scaligero, is a medieval bridge in Verona, on the Adige River, part of the fortress of Castelvecchio. SHORT HISTORY The bridge was built between 1354 and 1356 under the lordship of Cangrande II della Scala, to ensure the fortress of Castelvecchio with an escape route to the Adige Valley, in case of a riot by one of the enemy factions within the city. The structure of the bridge remained untouched for about five centuries, until 1802, when the French, following the Treaty of Lunéville, demolished the tower on the southern side and eliminated the battlements. In 1820, the battlements were reconstructed by the Austrians on the orders of Emperor Francis I of Austria. The bridge was destroyed on April 24, 1945, by the retreating Germans, along with all the other bridges in Verona. In the post-war period, the Municipality of Verona decided to rebuild it together with other important monuments lost during the Second World War. For the reconstruction project, the architect Piero Gazzola collaborated with the engineer Alberto Minghetti for the technical part and with the architect Libero Cecchini for the artistic part. The work began at the end of 1945, Read more [...]