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General Information

Name in local language: Ponte di Castel Vecchio; Ponte Scaligero
Other name(s): Castelvecchio Bridge
Beginning of works: 1354
Completion: 1356
Status: in use

Project Type

Structure: Vaulted arch bridge
Function / usage: original use:
Road bridge
current use:
Bicycle and pedestrian bridge
Material: Masonry bridge
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Location

Location: , , ,
Crosses:
  • Adige River
Coordinates: 45° 26' 25" N    10° 59' 14" E
Show coordinates on a map

Technical Information

Dimensions

total length 120 m
span lengths 24 m - 27 m - 48.70 m
number of spans 3
deck deck width 6 m

Materials

piers stone
brick
arches stone

Chronology

World War II

Destroyed.

1950

Rebuilt with original materials

Excerpt from Wikipedia

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 span at the time of its construction (48.70 m).

History

It was built (most likely in 1354-1356) by Cangrande II della Scala, to grant him a safe way of escape from the annexed eponymous castle in the event of a rebellion of the population against his tyrannic rule. The solidity of the construction allowed it to resist untouched until, in the late 18th century, the French troops destroyed the tower on the left bank (although it probably dated from the occupation of Verona by the Visconti or the Republic of Venice).

The bridge was however totally destroyed, along with the Ponte Pietra, by the retreating German troops on April 24, 1945. A faithful reconstruction begun in 1949 and was finished in 1951, with the exception of the left tower.

Architecture

The bridge is in red brick in the upper part, as are all landmarks in Verona from the Scaliger era, and in white marble in the lower one. It includes three spans of decreasing length starting from pentagonal towers. The largest span, measuring 48.70 m, meant that the bridge featured at the time of its construction the world's largest bridge arch (the others measure 29.15 and 24.11 meters). The two pylons are 12.10 x 19.40 and 6.30 x 17.30 meters respectively.

The bridge has a total length of 120 m.

Legends

According to a legend, Cangrande awarded the designer of the bridge, Guglielmo Bevilacqua, with a sword which had belonged to Saint Martin.

Another legend tells that the designer presented himself at the inauguration riding a horse, ready to flee away in case the bridge had crumbled down.

Text imported from Wikipedia article "Castelvecchio Bridge" and modified on 22 July 2019 under the CC-BY-SA 3.0 license.

Participants

Currently there is no information available about persons or companies having participated in this project.

Relevant Web Sites

Relevant Publications

  • About this
    data sheet
  • Structure-ID
    20000636
  • Published on:
    25/03/2000
  • Last updated on:
    28/05/2021
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