Ponte Pietra is the oldest of the seven bridges crossing the Adige River in the city and now the preferred transit route for those wishing to reach the Roman Theatre. It is 93 metres long and more than 7 metres wide and consists of five arches.
The bridge is a crucial meeting point between different communication routes, which is responsible for the birth of the city of Verona. A first wooden bridge was put in place during the construction of the Via Postumia in 148 B.C. and later it was replaced by a stone one.
In the imperial age and then in the Middle Ages the bridge underwent several damages and partial collapses due to the flooding of the river Adige or by man and then some subsequent restorations.
The most serious injury, however, occurred on 24 April 1945, when it was blown up by retreating German soldiers at the end of the Second World War. Then, it was rebuilt with the rubble of the original architecture and retains the characteristic shape of donkey’s back, typical of Roman bridges.
The Roman part is made up of large stone blocks from Valpolicella, while the Scaligera and Veneto masonry consists mainly of brick.
