Ponte della Maddalena
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Ponte della Maddalena is a bridge crossing the
Serchio The Serchio (; la, Auser) is the third longest river in the Italian region of Tuscany at , coming after the Arno at and the Ombrone, . By mean rate of flow, it is the second largest, smaller than Arno but larger than Ombrone. The principal sou ...
river near the town of
Borgo a Mozzano Borgo a Mozzano is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Lucca, in northern Tuscany (Italy), located on the Serchio River. History The town is mentioned for the first time in 879, when a document mentioned one place ''In loco Mozzano prope Dec ...
in the
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...
province of Lucca The province of Lucca ( it, provincia di Lucca) is a province in the Tuscany region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Lucca. It has an area of and a total population of about 390,000. There are 33 ''comuni'' (singular: ''comune'') in the pro ...
. It's one of numerous medieval bridges known as ''Ponte del Diavolo'', the " Bridge of the Devil", it was a vital river crossing on the
Via Francigena The Via Francigena () is an ancient road and pilgrimage route running from the cathedral city of Canterbury in England, through France and Switzerland, to Rome and then to Apulia, Italy, where there were ports of embarkation for the Holy Land. It w ...
, an early medieval road to
Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...
for those coming from
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
that was an important
medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...
pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...
route. The bridge is a remarkable example of medieval engineering, probably commissioned by the Countess
Matilda of Tuscany Matilda of Tuscany ( it, Matilde di Canossa , la, Matilda, ; 1046 – 24 July 1115 or Matilda of Canossa after her ancestral castle of Canossa), also referred to as ("the Great Countess"), was a member of the House of Canossa (also known as th ...
c. 1080-1100. It was renovated c. 1300 under the direction of
Castruccio Castracani Castruccio Castracani degli Antelminelli (; 1281 – 3 September 1328) was an Italian ''condottiero'' and duke of Lucca. Biography Castruccio was born in Lucca, a member of the noble family of Antelminelli, of the Ghibelline party. In 1300 he w ...
. The largest span is 37.8 m. The bridge is also described in a 14th-century novella by
Giovanni Sercambi Giovanni Sercambi (1348–1424) was an Italian author from Lucca who wrote a history of his city, ''Le croniche di Luccha'', as well as ''Il novelliere'' (or ''Novelle''), a collection of 155 tales. Sercambi composed ''Le croniche di Luccha'' f ...
of Lucca. Circa 1500 it took on the name of ''Ponte della Maddalena'', from an oratory dedicated to
Mary Magdalene Mary Magdalene (sometimes called Mary of Magdala, or simply the Magdalene or the Madeleine) was a woman who, according to the four canonical gospels, traveled with Jesus as one of his followers and was a witness to crucifixion of Jesus, his cru ...
, whose statue stood at the foot of the bridge on the eastern bank. In 1670 the General Council of the
Republic of Lucca The Republic of Lucca ( it, Repubblica di Lucca) was a medieval and early modern state that was centered on the Italian city of Lucca in Tuscany, which lasted from 1160 to 1805. Its territory extended beyond the city of Lucca, reaching the surr ...
issued a decree prohibiting passage over the bridge with millstones and sacks of flour in order to preserve the structure. In 1836, after being badly damaged during a flood, the bridge underwent urgent repair work.


See also

Other large medieval bridges * Puente del Diablo (Martorell) (37.3 m span) *
Puente de San Martín (Toledo) The Puente de San Martín ( en, St Martin's Bridge) is a medieval bridge across the river Tagus in Toledo, Spain, Toledo, Spain. The ''Puente de San Martín'' features five arches, with the largest in the middle having a span of 40 meters.Colin ...
(40 m span) *
Nyons Bridge The Nyons Bridge is a medieval bridge over the river Eygues in Nyons in southern France. The bridge was completed in 1407. It features a single span of 40.53 m, quite large for the standards of the day. See also * List of bridges in France * ...
(40.53 m span) *
Pont du Diable (Céret) Pont, meaning "bridge" in French, may refer to: Places France * Pont, Côte-d'Or, in the Côte-d'Or ''département'' * Pont-Bellanger, in the Calvados ''département'' * Pont-d'Ouilly, in the Calvados ''département'' * Pont-Farcy, in the Calva ...
(45.45 m span) *
Castelvecchio Bridge The Castel Vecchio Bridge (Italian: ''Ponte di Castel Vecchio'') or Scaliger Bridge (Italian: ''Ponte Scaligero'') is a fortified bridge in Verona, northern Italy, over the Adige River. The segmental arch bridge featured the world's largest spa ...
(48.7 m span) *
Pont Grand (Tournon-sur-Rhône) The Pont Grand is a stone bridge connecting Tournon-sur-Rhône to Saint-Jean-de-Muzols, in Ardèche, France, built between 1379 and 1583. The bridge features a single, semi-circular arch over the river Doux with a span of 49.20 m. The height of t ...
(49.2 m span) * Pont de Vieille-Brioude (54.2 m span) * Trezzo sull'Adda Bridge (72 m span)


References

{{coord, 43, 59, 5.96, N, 10, 33, 12.40, E, display=title
Ponte della Maddalena Ponte della Maddalena is a bridge crossing the Serchio river near the town of Borgo a Mozzano in the Italian province of Lucca. It's one of numerous medieval bridges known as ''Ponte del Diavolo'', the " Bridge of the Devil", it was a vital river ...
Maddalena Deck arch bridges Transport in Tuscany