Ponte Monumentale di Ariccia

The Appian Way crosses the valley at Ariccia on a 312-metre viaduct of three tiers of arches. Commissioned by Pope Pius IX and inaugurated in 1854, the Monumental Bridge remains a major work of papal-era road engineering in Lazio.

Why it matters

Begun in 1847 to straighten the Appia between Albano Laziale and Ariccia, the bridge replaced steep descents to the valley floor with an elevated crossing. It is 312 metres long and 59 metres high, with three superimposed arcades rising above the former gardens of Villa Chigi. The structure also bears the marks of modern history: bombing in the Second World War, a later collapse of its central arch and restoration completed in 2022.

What to notice

Three tiers of arches span the valley. Travertine pillars at the bridge's ends bear inscribed plaques to Pius IX, his minister Camillo Jacobini and the engineer. The bridge's later safety barriers record modern efforts to protect its roadway. From the deck, Ariccia's gates and the dome of the Collegiata rise above the wooded Barco below.

Context and history

Pius IX ordered the work in 1847. Engineer Giuseppe Bertolini directed construction, and architect Ireneo Aleandri designed the bridge. It was inaugurated on 12 October 1854, when a commemorative medal was struck. Allied bombing destroyed the bridge and a tower of Palazzo Chigi on 1 February 1944; a temporary route ran through the Chigi park until the crossing was restored. The central arch collapsed in the late 1960s. After a thorough restoration, the bridge reopened to traffic on 17 November 2022.