Description
The Ponte Sant'Angelo (Italian: Ponte Sant'Angelo) is a bridge in Rome, originally Roman. It connects Castel Sant'Angelo to the other side of the Tiber River. Built in 134, the bridge was commissioned by Emperor Hadrian, who wanted a direct connection from the city to his newly built mausoleum, the present-day Castel Sant'Angelo. The bridge was also named Pons Aelius or Pons Hadrianus, Aelius being Hadrian's family name. The bridge is constructed of travertine, and the arches are paved with peperino. Originally, the Pons Aelius had eight arches: three central arches with a diameter of 18.39 meters, three smaller arches of 3, 3.5, and 7.59 meters on the left side, and two of 3.75 and 7.59 meters on the right side. The bridge is 10.95 meters wide. On the eastern bank of the bridge stood the Arch of Gratian, Valentinian II, and Theodosius, built around 380. From the sixth century onward, both the bridge and Hadrian's mausoleum were named Sant'Angelo. According to legend, the Archangel Michael announced the end of a plague epidemic from atop the castle in 590. Later, the bridge was also called pons Sancti Petri (Bridge of Saint Peter) because many pilgrims crossed the Tiber River here on their way to St. Peter's Basilica. On September 19, in the Holy Year 1450, large groups of pilgrims walked across the bridge to St. Peter's. When the crowds became too large, the balustrades gave way, and many fell into the river, drowning 178 people. Consequently, the old triumphal arch and several houses at the bridgehead were demolished to widen the street. Executions were carried out at the eastern bridgehead for centuries. The bodies of the condemned were then displayed on the bridge as a deterrent. In 1527, statues of Peter and Paul were placed on the bridge at the behest of Pope Clement VIII. Later, more statues of the patriarchs, the evangelists, and Adam, Noah, Abraham, and Moses followed. By 1669, these statues had already deteriorated to such an extent that Pope Clement IX commissioned the renowned sculptor Bernini to create ten new angel statues. Bernini himself only created two, and these were so beautiful to Pope Clement IX that he kept them for himself rather than placing them on the bridge. Both statues now stand in the church of Sant'Andrea delle Fratte, also in Rome. The other statues now on the bridge were created by Bernini's pupils, including Antonio Giorgetti. These angels appear to have just descended from heaven and present the faithful with the irrefutable truth of the Gospel. This truth is depicted by the angels displaying all the instruments of Christ's martyrdom. In iconography, these objects are called the Arma Christi. In 1892, the Roman government finally decided to address the constant river flooding that had plagued the city for over 2,000 years. Meter-high embankments were built to keep out the rising water. This necessitated the reconstruction of the bridgehead on both banks of the Ponte Sant'Angelo bridge. Now, only the three central piers remain.
