Ponte Sublicio

Ponte Sublicio, also known as Ponte Aventino or Ponte Marmoreo, is a bridge in Rome over the Tiber river, connecting Aventino and Testaccio on one side (Piazza dell'Emporio, in the Ripa district) with Trastevere on the other side (Piazza di Porta Portese). Its name derives from the term sublicae, attributed to the Volscian language, with the meaning of wooden planks since it was originally built entirely of wood. 102 m long and 20 m wide, it was built by Marcello Piacentini between 1914 and 1917, and is located further downstream than the ancient Pons Sublicius from the 7th century BC from which it takes its name. The Sublicius was a bridge built with sublicae, wooden planks that could be removed in the event of an attack on the city. This, in fact, occurred when the Etruscan king Porsenna attacked Rome. While the Roman Horatius Coclite stood up to his enemies, his companions destroyed the planks.