Ponte di Veja, Natural limestone arch in Sant'Anna d'Alfaedo, Italy

Ponte di Veja is a natural limestone formation that rises above the valley and creates a large open passage underneath. The arch is made entirely of thick limestone and forms a distinct gateway where visitors can walk beneath the overhanging rock.

People have lived in this area for tens of thousands of years, as shown by archaeological finds in caves beneath the arch. Water flowing through the limestone gradually carved out the formation, slowly creating this natural bridge shape over time.

Andrea Mantegna painted the arch in the Camera degli Sposi of Mantua's Palazzo Ducale in the 15th century. Popular tradition holds that Dante, exiled in Verona as a guest of Cangrande della Scala, drew inspiration from it for the Malebolge, and a large chestnut nearby is still called the Castagno di Dante. The singer Giorgia filmed the video for "Quando una stella muore" here.

The arch stands at 602 m on the European long-distance trail E5, at the junction of the Crestena and Fenile valley gullies, in the municipality of Sant'Anna d'Alfaedo near the Grezzana border. The walkable top is 16 to 23 m wide. The stream still runs below, among large fallen boulders, fed by the Grotta dell'Acqua spring.

Water flows beneath the arch through large boulders fed by an underground spring that still flows today. This hidden water system continues to shape the rocks and is one of the features that makes the site memorable to visitors.