Rome and its bridges: a mix of ancient and modern / Roma e i suoi ponti: un insieme di antico e moderno

Today we’ll have a walk in my city, Rome and we’ll admire some of its beautiful bridges which mix different architectural style. Some of them are old and have a big historic value, others have been built recently. The recently constructed ones are the work of important architects  and symbolize the modern part of the city.

One of this is “Ponte Ostiense” also known as “Settimio Spizzichina”. It was opened in 2012 and it is an important work for the city because it connects two areas. You can now go from Ostiense to Garbatella in just one minute. It was designed by the engineer Francesco Del Tosto.

Address: Via Girolamo Benzoni (Ostiense district). To admire the bridge take the subway,  line B, stop Garbatella.

 

We now move from this district of Rome and we go to the Flaminio area. Here we find another modern bridge, “Ponte della Musica – Armando Trovajoli” . It is a pedestrian bridge and it was inaugurated in 2011 . It connects the areas Flaminio and Della Vittoria and it also connects the “Auditorium Parco della Musica” by Renzo Piano and  the MAXXI Museum (Museo Nazionale delle Arti del XXI Secolo - National Museum of Arts in the XXI Century) with the sports complex “Foro Italico” (where there is  Stadio Olimpico - the Olympic Stadium). It was realised by an  English study but it is inspired by the Spanish architecture of Calatrava.

You can reach the bridge taking the subway line A, stops Flaminio or Lepanto.  

 

 

 A few steps from Ponte della Musica and following the Tevere river you can admire the ancient Ponte Milvio.  Its construction dates back to 110 – 109 BC and it has an important history for the city of Rome. It is also called from Romans “Ponte Mollo” because when the river is in flood the bridge gets submerged.

This bridge is also famous because young people come here to declare eternal love for  one onother  by putting locks on the lamps of the bridge and by throwing the keys in the river. 

 

You can reach it using buses or tram n. 2 from Piazzale Flaminio to Piazza Mancini. You'll arrive to Ponte Milvio on foot from here.

 

 

Torretta di Valadier - Valadier's Turret

 

 

 

 

Last but not least, there is my favourite bridge in Rome: Ponte Sant'Angelo, in front of Castel Sant'Angelo. It was constructed in the year 134 by the Roman Emperor Adriano to connect his mausoleum (Castel Sant'Angelo) to the left bank of the Tevere river. Then a lot of improvements have been made by different Popes throughout the years, such as the beautiful Angels statues bringing the instruments of Passion carved by Bernini.

This is a very old bridge and I find it so elegant and so impressive! I advise you to go there and visit both the castle and the bridge at night, when they are illuminated by lights. You'll find them even more impressive.

If you are on the left bank of Tevere, cross the bridge towards Castel Sant'Angelo and at the end of it turn left: you'll have a beautiful view of Via della Conciliazione and St. Peter's Basilica.

 

To reach it take the subway line A, stops Lepanto or Ottaviano.

 

 

Angelo con la spugna - Angel with the sponge

 

 

Following you'll find a useful vocabulary if you want to visit Rome and move by public transports.

Mezzi pubblici di Roma / Public transports in Rome

Mezzi di trasporto pubblici	Public transports
Autobus	Bus / buses
Metropolitana (Metro a Roma)	Subway (it’s called the Metro in Rome)
Treno	Train
Tram	Tram
Urbano	Urban (inside the city)
Extraurbano	Suburban (outside the city)
Biglietto	Ticket
Biglietto giornaliero	Day card
Biglietto turistico	Tourist card
Biglietto di sola andata	One way ticket
Biglietto di andata e ritorno	Return ticket
Biglietteria	Ticket office
Timbrare il biglietto	To validate the ticket
Controllore (bigliettaio)	Ticket inspector
Direzione	Direction
Una corsa in metro/autobus	A subway / bus trip
Banchine	Platforms
Stazione	Station
Capolinea	End of line / terminus
Fermata/e	Stop/s
Tariffa	Fare
Binario	Rail

Useful phrases to travel / Frasi utili per viaggiare

Dov’è la biglietteria? Where is the ticket office? Dove si prende l’autobus/la metro / il treno per San Pietro? Where do I get the bus / subway / train to St. Peter from? A che ora è Il prossimo autobus / treno per la Stazione Termini? What time’s the next bus / train to Termini Station? Questo autobus / treno è stato cancellato This bus / train has been cancelled Questo autobus / treno è in ritardo This bus / train has been delayed Quanto dura il viaggio? How long does the journey take? A che ora arriviamo? What time do we arrive? Buon viaggio! Have a good journey! / Enjoy your trip! Quale linea di metropolitana devo prendere per andare alla Garbatella?   Which subway line do I have to take to go to Garbatella?   I leave you with this video based on an Italian movie "Ho voglia di te" where you can see Ponte Milvio and the place where lovers swear eternal love for one another.   See you next travel, keep following me! :)
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