Bridge of Augustus (Narni)
The Bridge of Augustus is a Roman arch bridge in the Italian city Narni in Umbria, built to carry the Flaminian Way over the river Nera. Of the original four spans of the bridge, only the southernmost remains standing.
History
The bridge was built under Augustus around 27 BC using marble blocks. The 30 m high structure was one of the largest bridges constructed by the Romans.According to the Umbrian Superintendence of Archaeological Heritage:
The bridge was a popular destination on the Grand Tour.
James Hakewill wrote in A picturesque tour of Italy :
Hakewill states that a description of the bridge is to be found in Roma antiqua et restaurata by Biondo, of Forli, 1558 ; and he also quotes from antiquity an epigram of Martial in which the bridge is mentioned.
The English painter J. M. W. Turner made sketches of the bridge in 1819, which are now held by the Tate Gallery.
The French painter Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot produced in 1826 the famous painting The Bridge at Narni, which today hangs in the Louvre.