Susegana Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Susegana Bridge is one of a series of Roman bridge
s on the Via Claudia Augusta
in Susegana
, northern Italy
. The small structure is notable for its flattened arch, which classify it as a Roman segmental arch bridge.
Being the fifth of altogether six ancient footbridge
s in the frazione
Colfosco, it crosses a stream without name downstream of the provincial road bridge, shortly before the road reaches the intersection to Falzè di Piave.
The bridge is 5.3 m wide; its single arch, built of eleven irregular wedge-shaped stones
, has a clear span of 3 m and a very low rise compared to the standard semi-circular bridge arch of antiquity
. Its construction is dated to the first half of the 1st century AD.
Such material-saving flat arches occur in ancient bridges of the Veneto
region quite frequently, leading to suggestions of a local building school. One reason for this concentration may have been the particular topography of the coastal region, whose soft alluvial soils would not have been suitable for the massive semi-circular arches and piers characteristic for Roman bridge building. Moreover, the approaches of segmental arch bridges, with their lower crest, provided less of an obstacle to foot traffic and pack animals, an obvious advantage in the flat Venetian landscape.
The structure was reportedly still in a good condition in 1938, but has since deteriorated, with one of its spandrel walls having collapsed.
Roman bridge
Roman bridges, built by ancient Romans, were the first large and lasting bridges built. Roman bridges were built with stone and had the arch as its basic structure....
s on the Via Claudia Augusta
Via Claudia Augusta
The Via Claudia Augusta is an ancient Roman road, which linked the valley of the Po River with Rhaetia across the Alps. Since 2007, the Giontech Archeological Site, in Mezzocorona/Kronmetz serves as the Via Claudia Augusta International Research Center, directed by Prof...
in Susegana
Susegana
Susegana is a comune in the Province of Treviso in the Italian region Veneto, located about north of Venice and about north of Treviso.-History:...
, northern Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. The small structure is notable for its flattened arch, which classify it as a Roman segmental arch bridge.
Being the fifth of altogether six ancient footbridge
Footbridge
A footbridge or pedestrian bridge is a bridge designed for pedestrians and in some cases cyclists, animal traffic and horse riders, rather than vehicular traffic. Footbridges complement the landscape and can be used decoratively to visually link two distinct areas or to signal a transaction...
s in the frazione
Frazione
A frazione , in Italy, is the name given in administrative law to a type of territorial subdivision of a comune; for other administrative divisions, see municipio, circoscrizione, quartiere...
Colfosco, it crosses a stream without name downstream of the provincial road bridge, shortly before the road reaches the intersection to Falzè di Piave.
The bridge is 5.3 m wide; its single arch, built of eleven irregular wedge-shaped stones
Voussoir
A voussoir is a wedge-shaped element, typically a stone, used in building an arch or vault.Although each unit in an arch or vault is a voussoir, two units are of distinct functional importance: the keystone and the springer. The keystone is the center stone or masonry unit at the apex of an arch. A...
, has a clear span of 3 m and a very low rise compared to the standard semi-circular bridge arch of antiquity
Classical antiquity
Classical antiquity is a broad term for a long period of cultural history centered on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of ancient Greece and ancient Rome, collectively known as the Greco-Roman world...
. Its construction is dated to the first half of the 1st century AD.
Such material-saving flat arches occur in ancient bridges of the Veneto
Veneto
Veneto is one of the 20 regions of Italy. Its population is about 5 million, ranking 5th in Italy.Veneto had been for more than a millennium an independent state, the Republic of Venice, until it was eventually annexed by Italy in 1866 after brief Austrian and French rule...
region quite frequently, leading to suggestions of a local building school. One reason for this concentration may have been the particular topography of the coastal region, whose soft alluvial soils would not have been suitable for the massive semi-circular arches and piers characteristic for Roman bridge building. Moreover, the approaches of segmental arch bridges, with their lower crest, provided less of an obstacle to foot traffic and pack animals, an obvious advantage in the flat Venetian landscape.
The structure was reportedly still in a good condition in 1938, but has since deteriorated, with one of its spandrel walls having collapsed.
See also
- List of Roman bridges
- Roman architectureRoman architectureAncient Roman architecture adopted certain aspects of Ancient Greek architecture, creating a new architectural style. The Romans were indebted to their Etruscan neighbors and forefathers who supplied them with a wealth of knowledge essential for future architectural solutions, such as hydraulics...
- Roman engineeringRoman engineeringRomans are famous for their advanced engineering accomplishments, although some of their own inventions were improvements on older ideas, concepts and inventions. Technology for bringing running water into cities was developed in the east, but transformed by the Romans into a technology...