Tiberius Bridge

National Monument and the square on the water

Imposing construction of the Roman period, the bridge was erected over the river Marecchia by decree of the Emperor August; his successor Tiberius (14 - 21 A.D.) brought its set-up to an end.
This five-arch Doric bridge covered by Istria stone is one of the most remarkable existing Roman bridges as well as an important example of the Romans' technical skill.  The foundations of each pylon are not disjoint from one another but placed on a functional system of wooden poles, so as to ensure more complete stability. The pylons are also equipped with breakwater spurs, oblique to the axis road to mitigate the impact of the current, going along with the trend.
The bridge is at the beginning of two Roman consular roads, the Via Aemilia, built in 187 BC by Consul Aemilius Lepidus, linked Rimini to Piacenza and the Via Popilia leading to Ravenna, upto Aquileia and at the end of Corso d'Augusto.A stop not to be missed is the new square on the water that, overlooking the reservoir, allows a suggestive view of the Tiberius bridge and a pedestrian walk along the edge of the basin. Next to it, the new archaeological park 'Le pietre raccontano' leads to the discovery of the long history of the bridge and offers a panoramic terrace towards the Marecchia park.Since 1885 Tiberio bridge has been considered national monument.