Pons Fabricius
Located in Rome, and still in use, The Pons Fabricius or Ponte dei Quatrtro Capi is the oldest Roman bridge that has retained its original architecture.
Built by the then Curator of Roads, Lucius Fabricius and named after him, it has a length of 62 m,(203 Feet) and is 5.5(18 feet) m wide. It is constructed from two wide arches, supported by a central pillar in the middle of the stream. Its core is constructed of tuff. Its outer facing is made of bricks and travertine.
Constructed in 62 BCE, and having weathered the tumults of wars and expeditions, with intermediate intervals of peace and prosperity, the bridge stands as a telling monument of Roman genius for construction and their ingenuity in their expansionist pursuits.
According to Dio Cassius – a Roman statesman and historian – Pons Fabricius was built to replace a previous wooden bridge that had burned down. The bridge aptly commemorates Lucius Fabricius, the man who designed and supervised its construction, as it celebrates its antiquity and glory since its erection and has remained in continuous use in last over 2080 years.
The Pons Fabricius (Italian: Ponte Fabricio, “Fabrician Bridge”) or Ponte dei Quattro Capi, spans half of the Tiber River, from the Campus Martius on the east side to Tiber Island in the middle (the Pons Cestius is west of the island).
In 14th century, the bridge derived a new identity and name – Quattro Capi (“four heads”) when two marble pillars of the two-faced Janus herms on the parapet, were added to it by moving them from a nearby Church of St Gregory (Monte Savello).
The Bridge
In 62 BC, the local consul was Cicero. What stood in the place of the present bridge was a wooden structure. When it caught fire, and was completely gutted and destroyed, a new bridge was commissioned. Lucius Fabricius, as the Superintendent of Roads, sanctioned and supervised its construction. The fact that the bridge even today stands intact and erect, is a tribute to this man of extra ordinary talent and determination.
The Pons Fabricius has a length of 62 m, and it is about 18 feet high. It is constructed from two wide arches spanning 80 feet, supported by a central pillar in the middle of the stream. The arches of this bridge are the first ones on any Roman bridge that were not semi-circular. This is possibly caused by the semi-circle being located below the water line. A relief is located 20 feet above the pier. During times of flood, this relief helped served as an additional waterway.
Inscription
An original inscription on the travertine commemorates its builder in Latin: L . FABRICIVS . C . F . CVR . VIAR | FACIVNDVM . COERAVIT | IDEMQVE | PROBAVIT (“Lucius Fabricius, son of Gaius, superintendent of the roads, took care and likewise approved that it be built”). It is repeated four times, once on each side of each arch.
A later inscription, in smaller lettering, records that the bridge was restored under Pope Innocent XI, probably in 1679.
Legacy
Pons Fabricius owes its place in the history of bridges for many reasons. Firstly, it is the oldest Roman bridge still in use that has not seen any significant architectural changes in its life so far. Secondly, Its design- majestically simple and structurally robust and sturdy- celebrates the Roman genius for innovation and utility. In no less measure, it also endorses the lores and legends of Roman enterprise, driven by the ambition and greed of its rulers but yet confirming their courage, capability and creativity.
scribo ad LX 