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Sambuco Bridge in Torricella in Sabina: the ancient Via Salaria crossing the Raiano stream
Located in the territory of Torricella in Sabina, the Ponte Sambuco (Sambuco Bridge) is one of the best-preserved vestiges of the old Roman road Via Salaria. The bridge, dating back to the first half of the 1st century AD, is situated about 41 miles from Rome, as once indicated by a Roman milestone (cippus) that had been found in the underlying streambed, but is now lost.
The structure
Measuring approximately 66 metres in length, it spans a ravine at the bottom of which the Raiano stream flows, before reaching the river Turano. A single archway (fornix) opens at its centre. The lateral retaining walls consist of courses of local limestone blocks known as breccione. At the beginning of the 20th century, historian Nicolò Persichetti recorded the presence of the original basalt paving (basolato).
How to get there
The bridge, now partially hidden by vegetation, is an integral part of the St Francis Way. From the SP 34 Turanese, follow the signs for "Ponte Romano".
