Ancient Roman bridges represent one of the greatest wonders of the Ancient World. They were an exceptional feat of Roman construction. The Romans were undoubtedly the first people to build large and lasting bridges. During the Roman period, bridge building techniques were revolutionised with the introduction of arches which enabled the Romans to erect structures of great beauty and solidity. With such powerful knowledge, Roman road builders spread across Europe, Asia and Africa, building over 900 bridges during the Roman Republic and Empire.

A list of Roman bridges compiled by the engineer Colin O’Connor features 330 Roman stone bridges for traffic, 34 Roman timber bridges and 54 Roman aqueduct bridges, a substantial part still standing and even used to carry vehicles. A more complete survey by the Italian scholar Vittorio Galliazzo found 931 Roman bridges, mostly made of stone, in as many as 26 different countries, from Portugal on the west, to Syria on the east (see List of Roman Bridges).

Testament of the building techniques of Ancient Rome can be witnessed even today with hundreds bridges still standing. The following list includes all the surviving remains of Roman bridges I have seen and photographed. They are listed by country of origin.

ALBANIA

Roman bridge on the Via Egnatia (41°02’53.3″N 19°45’53.5″E)

croatia

Roman bridge of Salona (43°32’18.3″N 16°29’01.4″E)

FRANCE

Pont Julien (43°51’45.33″N 5°18’23.68″E)

Pont Flavien (43°32’29.0″N 5°02’35.0″E)

The Pont Tibère at Sommières (43°46′55.97″N, 4°5′2015″E)

Roman Bridge at Vaison-la-Romaine (44°14′20.24″N, 5°4′28.88″E)



Pont Ambroix (43°43′1.92″N, 4°9′6.84″E)



Pont Romain de Viviers (44°29’18.2″N 4°40’19.4″E)

germany

Römerbrücke in Trier (49°45′6.84″N, 6°37′35.4″E)

greece

Roman bridge of Patras (38°16’02.1″N 21°45’19.4″E)

ISRAEL

Roman bridge at Beth-She’an (32°30’25.6″N 35°29’44.6″E)



italy



Ponte di Tiberio at Rimini (44°3′49.28″N, 12°33′49.16″E)



Ponte Pietra at Verona (45°26′51.72″N, 10°59′ 59.64″E)

Roman bridge near Birori, Sardinia (40°15’7.86″N 8°50’54.14″E)

Roman bridge near Usellus, Sardinia (39°48’44.71″N 8°50’57.69″E)

Pont’Ecciu in Allai, Sardinia (39°57’43″N 8°51’40″E)

Roman bridge at Santa Giusta, Sardinia (39°52’11.13″N 8°36’32.25″E)

Pontimannu in Sant’Antioco, Sardinia (39°3’30″N 8°28’12″E)

Roman bridge Tramatza, Sardinia (39°59’51.67″N 8°39’1.83″E)

Ponte sul Mannu at Porto Torres, Sardinia (40°50’10.26″N 8°23’29.57″E)

Pont’Ezzu near Ozieri, Sardinia (40°05’54.0″N 8°39’56.0″E)

Pont’Ezzu near Mores, Sardinia (40°31’42.59″N 8°52’34.60″E)

Pons Aelius (Ponte Sant’Angelo) in Rome (41°54′ 6″N, 12°27′59.25″E)

Pons Aemilius in Rome (41°53′ 22″N, 12°28′46″E)

Pons Cestius in Rome (41°53′24.8″N, 12°28′38″E)

Pons Fabricius in Rome (41°53′ 28″N, 12°28′42″E)

Ponte sul Rubicone in Savignano sul Rubicone (44°05’33.3″N 12°23’45.1″E)

portugal

Ponte da Vila Formosa (39°12’58.4″N 7°47’05.7″W)

Ponte Romana de Segura (39°49’02.8″N 6°58’56.1″W)

Ponte da Ladeira dos Envendos near Mação (39°37’27.4″N 7°51’05.1″W)

Ponte de Vila Ruiva near Cuba (38°15’34.9″N 7°56’45.6″W)

Ponte dos Três Concelhos in Ribeira da Isna (39°44’08.0″N 8°03’18.0″W)

Ponte Romana de Idanha-a-Velha (39°59’43.8″N 7°08’31.6″W)

Roman Bridge at Miróbriga (38°00’36.5″N 8°41’04.1″W)

Roman Pier Bridge of Myrtilis in Mértola (37°38’08.7″N 7°39’51.1″W)

Puente romano de Monforte (39°03’26.2″N 7°26’39.4″W)

SPAIN

Alcántara Bridge (39°43’20.5″N 6°53’32.5″W)

Roman Bridge over the Albarregas River in Mérida (38°55’25.9″N 6°20’57.0″W)

Roman Bridge over the Guadiana River in Mérida (38°54′47.02″N, 6°21′2.99″W)

Alconétar Bridge (39°45’13.8″N 6°26’14.4″W)

Puente de Carmona (37°28’34.8″N 5°37’28.7″W)

Roman Bridge of Córdoba (37°52’37.2″N 4°46’42.1″W)

Puente romano de Villa del Rio (37°59’13.5″N 4°16’15.6″W)

Puente Romano de Andújar (38°01’56.6″N 4°03’42.9″W)

Puente Romano sobre el arroyo Pedroches (Córdoba) (37°54’14.73″N 4°45′ 22.28″W)

Puente Romano de Ayuela en Casas de Don Antonio (39°14’02.7″N 6°17’23.5″W)

Puente Romano Santiago de Bencáliz (39°15’52.2″N 6°18’48.0″W)

Puente Romano Viejo de La Mocha (39°22’02.4″N 6°20’46.9″W)

turkey



Justinian Bridge in Tarsus (36°55’16.0″N 34°55’03.0″E)

Justinian Bridge near Nicaea (40°27’40.9″N 29°41’33.1″E)

Eurymedon Bridge near Aspendos (36°54′51.23″N, 31°9′46.79″E)

Eurymedon Bridge near Selge (37°11’31.2″N 31°10’51.6″E)

Laodicea Bridge (37°50’09.8″N 29°06’33.0″E)

Misis Köprüsü (36°57’25.8″N 35°37’32.3″E)

Nysa Bridge (37°54′12.26″N, 28°8′43.85″E)

Sangarius Bridge (40° 44′ 14.74″ N, 30° 22′ 22.27″ E)

Şekerpınarı Bridge (37° 28′ 16″ N, 34° 51′ 43″ E)

Severan Bridge (37° 55′ 56.64″ N, 38° 36′ 29.52″ E)

Taşköprü, Adana (36° 59′ 10″ N, 35° 20′ 7″ E)

Taşköprü in Silifke (36°22’45.7″N 33°55’30.9″E)

Roman Bridge near Osmaneli (40°22’38.2″N 29°57’56.5″E)

Ancient bridge near Issus (36°45’09.0″N 36°12’15.1″E)

Ancient bridge near Izmit (40°47’19.1″N 29°31’49.4″E)

UNITED KINGDOM



Chesters Bridge on Hadrian’s Wall (55°01’31.2″N 2°08’08.0″W)

Willowford Roman Bridge on Hadrian’s Wall (54°59’28.9″N 2°35’31.8″W)

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