Fragments along the ancient Aurelia
The ancient route of the Via Aurelia, in the stretch between Santa Severa and Santa Marinella, was dotted with bridges, necessary to cross the waterways that reached the sea from the Tolfa mountains. These are masterpieces of engineering built in the 3rd century BC. Arches of the Ponte di Apollo, the one in Largo Impero, the bridge of Viale Roma and the one called delle Vignacce are preserved.
Proceeding from Santa Severa towards Santa Marinella, before reaching the center, at km 59.70 of the left carriageway of the Aurelia, there is a stele commemorating the restoration of the Apollo bridge commissioned by the emperors Septimius Severus and Caracalla. From the inscription we can lean that already in 205 AD the fury of the sea damaged the bridge, which was rebuilt by imperial will. Currently parts of the Apollo bridge are visible in correspondence with the Castelsecco ditch. The part still visible is made up of three arches with a curvilinear shape. The presence of various renovations in the medieval and Renaissance periods is evident on the remains of the bridge. Proceeding on the Aurelia, at km 60.40 the Largo Impero bridge is preserved within a private property and therefore not easily visible. The same fate for the so-called Vignacce bridge, whose precarious traces are preserved between the moat of two private gardens. On the contrary, the Ponte di Via Roma was recently restored by the Municipality. It is preserved with an arch made up of 19 radial sandstone ashlars. Thanks to some period photos we know that already in 1910 it was the subject of important restorations.
