Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The Murderer’s Birds!
Elgin Public Museum
Tynemouth Castle.
Tynemouth Priory and Castle
Fresco on the ceiling of the chapel.
Cappella Sistina
View southwest from the trilobite quarry out to Cadiz Valley.
Marble Mountains Trilobite Quarry
Loading...
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
The view from the Q’eswachaka woven suspension bridge.
This Man Rebuilds the Last Inca Rope Bridge Yearly
Su filindeu doesn’t cook in strands, it cooks in sheets.
How the ‘Su Filindeu’ (or ‘Threads of God’) Pasta Recipe Was Almost Lost to Time
Eroded rocks of the badlands in the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest National Park.
Arizona’s Petrified Forest Is Changing What We Know About the Dawn of the Dinosaurs
You could probably take some of that stuff out.
Dear Atlas: How Do I Pack Light for a Long Trip?

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Italy Rome Ponte Nomentano

Ponte Nomentano

One of Rome's most picturesque and original bridges was also a popular choice for Grand Tour artists.

Rome, Italy

Added By
Jan Claus Di Blasio
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Ponte Nomentano   antmoose
Ponte Nomentano in an old picture.   Rijksmuseum
Ponte Nomentano   V@l&
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

This beautiful pedestrian-only Roman bridge has been largely untouched since the Middle Ages. It spans over 190 feet (60 meters) above the Aniene river, a tributary of the Tiber. The Nomentano bridge was once surrounded by the vast and empty expanses of the Roman countryside.

Its unique architecture and solitude inspired scores of Grand Tour artists who depicted the bridge in sketches, paintings, and illustrations. Nowadays, despite being not far from the modern districts of Nomentano and Monte Sacro, the bridge still preserves some of its rural tranquillity.

The central arch is dated to the end of the Roman Republic or perhaps to the beginning of the Augustan age. The two smaller arches along the sides were constructed during the reign of Pope Innocent X (17th-century). An image of a club and a bovine head on the central arch seem to link the bridge to an ancient passage for cattle and a cult of Hercules. Its present architecture can be dated back to the Middle Ages, when a tower was added. According to local lore, a meeting between Charlemagne and Leo III occured on this bridge.

The Nomentano bridge is believed to have been partially damaged and demolished on two occasions, once during the time of the Gothic Wars and in 1849 when the French army attempted to block Garibaldi's advance on the city.

Since 1997, the municipal authorities have limited access to pedestrians only in order to protect the ancient bridge.

Related Tags

Bridges Architecture History & Culture Ancient
Atlas Obscura Adventures

Flavors of Italy: Roman Carbonara, Florentine Steak & Venetian Cocktails

Savor local cuisine across Rome, Florence & Venice.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

LatiumMirabile

Published

November 25, 2020

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Ponte Nomentano
414 Via Nomentana
Rome, 00141
Italy
41.933572, 12.532547
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Wunderkammer Roma Artificialia

Rome, Italy

miles away

Sedia del Diavolo

Rome, Italy

miles away

Casina delle Civette

Rome, Italy

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Rome

Rome

Italy

Places 144
Stories 24

Nearby Places

Wunderkammer Roma Artificialia

Rome, Italy

miles away

Sedia del Diavolo

Rome, Italy

miles away

Casina delle Civette

Rome, Italy

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Rome

Rome

Italy

Places 144
Stories 24

Related Places

  • Conwy Suspension Bridge

    Conwy, Wales

    Conwy Suspension Bridge

    One of the oldest suspension bridges in the world blends in perfectly with a medieval castle.

  • Vigo Bridge

    Chioggia, Italy

    Vigo Bridge

    A bridge to rival those in nearby Venice but without the crowds.

  • La Margineda Bridge

    Andorra la Vella, Andorra

    La Margineda Bridge

    You can still walk across this beautiful medieval bridge in Andorra.

  • Ponte de Linhares Causeway

    Penha de França, India

    Ponte de Linhares Causeway

    Believed to have been the longest bridge in the world when it was completed in 1634.

  • Pero's Bridge

    Bristol, England

    Pero's Bridge

    This pedestrian footbridge honors Pero Jones, an enslaved African who lived in Bristol.

  • Ashland Bridge

    Wilmington, Delaware

    Ashland Bridge

    The smallest and oldest covered bridge in Delaware.

  • Queen Victoria Bridge

    Madrid, Spain

    Queen Victoria Bridge

    This modernist bridge highlights the bear as a symbol of Madrid.

  • A replica Bradac on the Prague Venice wharf.

    Prague, Czechia

    Bradáč

    The medieval "Bearded Man" relief still serves as a clever flood warning marker.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.