Ponte d'Arli

Arching across the valley floor, the Ponte d’Arli is a fine example of a mule-back bridge, its single arch rising steeply in the distinctive humpbacked profile that gave such structures their name. The span measures 19.9 metres, a generous reach for a bridge of its type, and is built from bands of travertine ashlar blocks, set in lime mortar. Low parapets and gently sloping approach ramps are contained by the long retaining walls of the abutments, which guide the old road of the frazione smoothly over the watercourse. Such bridges were once common on secondary routes, their modest but robust design a practical response to local geography and the needs of pack animals. Here, the pale stonework, weathered and lichened, still holds the quiet authority of a route that has connected fields and hamlets for centuries, unremarkable yet essential.

Description via source. Coordinates and heritage data from the Atika atlas.