May, 2024
As part of our first Bologna road trip, we discovered the quiet village of Castel del Rio which is firmly off the beaten track in Emilia-Romagna but punches well above its weight when it comes to bridges! The steep, Ponte degli Alidosi, its major landmark, is one of the Renaissance's most distinctive bridges. Certainly too big for the needs of its mere 1,300 residents today but it had important financial and political muscle in its day.
Castel del Rio
The Ponte degli Alidosi was an engineering marvel back in its day in 1499. It has stood the test of time, spanning 42 m across and nearly 20 m above the Santerno River in the village of Castel del Rio. Its size is really apparent when you notice the tiny specks of Gilly and Laurie waving from its crest!
Practically, the bridge improved trade through the Santerno Valley by facilitating the crossing of the river, and the movement of people, livestock and agricultural goods put Castel del Rio on the map connecting trading routes between Tuscany and Romagna.
Politically, the Alidosi family had ruled this territory for about 400 years and commissioning a bridge like this was more about their display of wealth and authority than public transportation improvement.
Notice the little windows? There are five rooms hidden inside for guards collecting tolls on the goods crossing the bridge, storage of these goods and prisoners' quarters...perhaps those who tried to sneak across without paying the tolls?
Two more tiny specks of Laurie and me jumping on the shore of the Santerno River.
By the expression on Laurie's face, you know she's planning something cheeky, like checking to see how firm the locks on the door to the inner sanctum of the bridge's rooms are.