Aqueduct in Spoletto, Italy
Not Ancient Roman, I’m afraid. Still, these massive stone pillars are impressive enough to take your breath away. Or was that the climb to the top of the hill? A hulking stone mass spanning the deep gorge, the Ponte delle Torre does indeed have its origins in the Romans as an aqueduct. But what visitors see today is the result of a medieval re-build, likely 12th-14th century. Its name comes from the pair of fortifited towers on either end. On Spoleto’s side, we have the Rocca Albornoziana, and on the other side is the Fortilizia dei Mulini. Rising an impressive 80m high and spanning 230m long, the Ponte delle Torre was once used as an aqueduct bringing fresh water into Spoleto via a canal atop it, and later functioned as a bridge. In fact, sometimes this limestone edifice is still sometimes open as a bridge – but not for the faint hearted! Climb the hill to visit the Rocca – on one side, you’ll enjoy lovely views over the city, then, walk around the castle to the other side and you’ll get jaw-dropping views of the aqueduct! History buffs can then head up and in to the Rocca to visit the museum inside.
Top tip: Head down into the town to the Roman amphitheatre – make sure you visit the ruins and the accompanying museum to learn all about Roman life in Spoleto (or Spoletum) of antiquity.
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