ponte milvio
Ponte Milvio builds in the Italian capital, the bridge that crosses Via Cassia and Via Flaminia, was built to facilitate and create a gate on the river Tiber that crosses Rome. The first hint of that bridge came in 207 bC in reference to the return from the battle of Metauro during the Second Punic War.
Over the years the structure has undergone many changes and mutations, also because of the various battles that saw her like a protagonist. In 1805 the bridge has undergone some restoration works on behalf of Pope Pius VII, made by Giuseppe Valadier. He restructured the arches at the edge, the northern entrance and he erected also a tower in Neoclassical style.
The bridge was blown up by Garibaldi in 1849 to stop the offensive of the armies of France and it was rebuilt under the orders of Pope Pius IX in 1850. In this circumstance it was placed a statue of the Immaculate, made by sculptor Domenico Pigiani. A series of Baptism of Jesus located in the south entrance has now been moved to the Museo di Roma in Palazzo Braschi.
