Ponte Pietra

Ponte Pietra, the Stone Bridge, crosses the Adige in Verona between the historic centre and the Veronetta district, directly below the Roman Theatre and Colle San Pietro. It is the oldest bridge in the city and was built around 100 BC in the Roman Republican period to carry the Via Postumia across the river. Originally the crossing was constructed in stone with arches of white limestone, and the two arches nearest the left bank preserve the Roman fabric. Later centuries brought alterations: the medieval period added brick arches and a tower on the right bank, and the bridge was repeatedly damaged by floods of the Adige. The bridge's modern history is dramatic. In April 1945, as German forces withdrew from Verona, they blew up the Ponte Pietra along with the city's other bridges. After the war the city decided to reconstruct it exactly as it had been, and in the 1950s the stones were recovered from the riverbed and re-laid. The rebuilding was completed in 1957, using the original Roman stone where possible and new material to fill the gaps. The result is a pedestrian bridge with five arches, two Roman and three medieval-style, whose different colours and textures still show which sections are original. The architectural character is simple and robust, with a gentle hump and a stone parapet. The bridge is not a museum, so there are no collections or curatorial sequence; the interest lies in the masonry and in the story of destruction and careful reconstruction. Interpretation is provided mainly by guides and by information panels in the area. The bridge is closed to vehicles and is a favourite spot for views of the river, the Roman Theatre and the Castel San Pietro on the hill. It is free and open at all hours, and the surrounding lanes of Veronetta and the Lungadige make a good short walking route.