Taro Bridge, Stone bridge in Ponte Taro, Italy
Taro Bridge is a brick and stone bridge with 20 arches that carries the Via Emilia over the Taro River between Parma, Noceto, and Fontevivo. It is 565.5 meters long and was the longest bridge in Europe when it opened in 1821. The piers have 4-meter-diameter holes to lighten the structure, and four statues of rivers sit at the ends.
Duchess Marie Louise commissioned this permanent bridge in 1816, with engineers Antonio Cocconcelli and Giambattista Ferrari overseeing its completion in 1821. The project resulted from a need to strengthen connections between the surrounding municipalities.
Sculptures by Giuseppe Carra decorate the bridge, each representing one of four rivers that flow through the region: Parma, Taro, Enza, and Stirone. These stone figures tell the story of the waterways that shape the landscape.
The structure runs along Via Emilia Ovest and serves as a main crossing point for both vehicles and pedestrians. Traffic can be busy during peak hours, so allow time if you plan to walk across.
The structure was built with foundations from earlier bridge constructions that reach back to Roman times. This layering of history beneath modern stonework shows how the site has served as a crossing point across many centuries.
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