One of the biggest attractions of Ariccia, a small town in the Castelli Romani area south-east of Rome, is the Monumental Bridge giving access to the city. It took seven years to finish the project, which consists of three rows of enormous arches and has a length of more than 300 meters.
Monumental Bridge Ariccia
Useful information
Address: Via Appia Nuova – Ariccia. Opening times: Always open. Ticket price: Free. name in Italian: Ponte di Ariccia.
History and description
The Monumental Bridge of Ariccia was built by order of Pope Pius IX. The project was designed by the Neoclassic architect Ireneo Aleandri. Construction of the bridge, which created a direct connection to nearby Albano Laziale, took from 1847 to 1854.
At its highest point the bridge, which has a length of 312 meters, is 59 meters tall. Before it was built, the center could only be reached via the steep slopes of the Via Appia.
The view from the bridge is breathtaking and includes the park of the Villa Chigi. Sadly, for obvious reasons, the bridge got the nickname Ponte del Suicidio, but this changed after protective barriers were erected.
Bombings during World War II made the bridge unusable for a while. In 1969 the central part collapsed. Nowadays, however, the bridge is a perfectly safe spot to get a panorama of Ariccia.