The Milvian (or Mulvian) Bridge ( or ; or ) is a bridge over the

Tiber The Tiber ( ; ; ) is the List of rivers of Italy, third-longest river in Italy and the longest in Central Italy, rising in the Apennine Mountains in Emilia-Romagna and flowing through Tuscany, Umbria, and Lazio, where it is joined by the R ...

in northern

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

. It was an economically and strategically important bridge in the era of the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...

and was the site of the famous Battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312 AD, which led to the imperial rule of Constantine.

History

Jan Both schilderij Landschap met de Ponte Molle

A bridge was built by

consul Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states thro ...

Gaius Claudius Nero in 206 BC after he had defeated the Carthaginian army in the

Battle of the Metaurus The Battle of the Metaurus was a pivotal battle in the Second Punic War between Rome and Carthage, fought in 207 BC near the Metauro River in Italy. The Carthaginians were led by Hasdrubal Barca, brother of Hannibal, who was to have brought si ...

. In 109 BC, censor Marcus Aemilius Scaurus built a new bridge of stone in the same position, demolishing the old one. In 63 BC, letters from the conspirators of the Catiline conspiracy were intercepted here, allowing

Cicero Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, orator, writer and Academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises tha ...

to read them to the

Roman Senate The Roman Senate () was the highest and constituting assembly of ancient Rome and its aristocracy. With different powers throughout its existence it lasted from the first days of the city of Rome (traditionally founded in 753 BC) as the Sena ...

the next day. In AD 312,

Constantine I Constantine I (27 February 27222 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was a Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337 and the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity. He played a Constantine the Great and Christianity, pivotal ro ...

defeated his stronger rival Maxentius between this bridge and Saxa Rubra, in the famous Battle of the Milvian Bridge. During the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

, the bridge was renovated by a

monk A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...

named Acuzio, and in 1429

Pope Martin V Pope Martin V (; ; January/February 1369 – 20 February 1431), born Oddone Colonna, was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 11 November 1417 to his death in February 1431. His election effectively ended the We ...

asked a famous

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

, Francesco da Genazzano, to repair it because it was collapsing. During the 18th and 19th centuries, the bridge was modified by two architects, Giuseppe Valadier and Domenico Pigiani. In the 17th century the Ponte Molle was one of the architectonic subjects in the arcadian landscape pictures of Dutch and Flemish painters as for example Jan Both. The bridge was badly damaged in 1849 by Garibaldi's troops in an attempt to block a French invasion but repaired by Pope

Pius IX Pope Pius IX (; born Giovanni Maria Battista Pietro Pellegrino Isidoro Mastai-Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878. His reign of nearly 32 years is the longest verified of any pope in hist ...

the following year.

Problems

Love locks

Following the release of the popular book and movie "I Want You" (''Ho voglia di te'' 2006) by Italian writer Federico Moccia, couples started – as a token of love – to attach padlocks to a lamppost on the bridge. After attaching the lock, they would throw the key behind them into the Tiber river. However, after the lamppost partially collapsed in 2007 because of the weight of the padlocks, all parts of the bridge—including its balustrades, railings and garbage bins—were used. It has continued despite Rome's city council introducing a €50 fine for anyone found attaching locks to the bridge. In 2012, city authorities removed all locks from the bridge.

Football violence

The bridge is known as a place where football hooligans or ultras from A.S. Roma attack fans from opposing teams on match days. The lightning attack or ''puncicata'', as it is known in Roman slang, is where a flash mob of ultras ambush fans, stabbing them in the buttocks before running away. The bridge is used because its design and location make it suitable. On the occasions of games played by the other local team, S.S.Lazio, the A.S. Roma fans tend to avoid the area, as it is where Lazio ultras usually gather.

References

Sources

External links

*
Ritual draws sweethearts to Rome bridge
article describing the padlock ritual
Google Map
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Milvio, Ponte Bridges in Rome Roman bridges in Italy Deck arch bridges Stone bridges in Italy Bridges completed in the 2nd century BC 110s BC establishments 2nd-century BC establishments in the Roman Republic 2nd-century BC establishments in Italy Rome Q. I Flaminio Rome Q. II Parioli Rome Q. XV Della Vittoria Rome Q. XVIII Tor di Quinto