Pons Lapideus
About
Beneventum's Via Appia crossed the Sabato River on this bridge, raised around the colony's founding in the 3rd century BCE. Six stone arches originally carried the road; four still stand today. Septimius Severus and Caracalla restored the span in 202 CE after centuries of heavy traffic. Its ancient paving stones stayed in use as the working roadbed into the 20th century.
What happened here
Piers are set on cofferdams — a ring of driven piles, pumped dry, filled with concrete that sets under water. They are built with a cutwater pointing upstream to split the current and the ice. The span above may be stone arches or timber on stone, and timber is not a poor relation: it is cheaper, faster, and replaceable. Roads approach on an embankment so the crossing stays level. Tolls are common, shrines at either end are usual, and the inscription names whoever paid. Floods are the enemy; a bridge is inspected after every big one, and the scour around the piers is packed with rubble. A bridge fixes a town's position for a thousand years, which is why so many are still standing.
Sources
Nearby
Roman Maps shows the empire frozen at 11 August 117 CE, the day Trajan died — its moment of greatest territorial extent. Explore the full map →