Ponte delle Torri, Medieval bridge and aqueduct in Spoleto, Italy.
Ponte delle Torri is a medieval bridge and aqueduct in Spoleto, Italy, extending 230 meters and rising 80 meters above the valley floor. Nine pointed stone arches connect the hill of Sant'Elia with Monteluco, forming a continuous row that runs from the fortress grounds to the opposite slope.
The bridge was constructed in the 13th and 14th centuries on Roman foundations, with builders incorporating parts of earlier water channels. During later centuries the construction served both as a military passage and as a transport route for drinking water from the Cortaccione springs.
The name may refer to the towers of the two fortresses at its ends, the Rocca Albornoziana and the Fortilizio dei Mulini, or to the shape of the piers. The mill fortress watched over the bridge and ground grain until the 19th century. A niche in the upper wall, once used to supervise the aqueduct, later served as a toll collector's booth when Spoleto had its medieval customs wall.
Access starts at Piazza Campello, from where Via del Ponte runs along the walls of the Rocca Albornoziana to the bridge. The route is mostly level and offers several viewing points before reaching the height of the viaduct.
The two piers rising from the valley floor are hollow and can be entered; inside are rooms that served as guard posts, with windows and doors a few metres above the ground. Over time they have become a daytime and seasonal shelter for various bats.
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