The Real Ferdinando Bridge, near the archaeological site of Minturnae in the province of Latina and dedicated to King Ferdinand II of Naples, is suspended over the river Garigliano which has acted as the border between Lazio and Campania since 1927.
Designed by Luigi Giura, it was the first suspension bridge to use steel cables in Italy and its construction took place from 1828 to 1832 when it was inaugurated on 10 May in the presence of the King.
The tall columns with palm leaf capitals are a nod to the craze for Egypt that began with the first expeditions between the 1700s and 1800s while the four sphinxes at both ends of the bridge probably allude to the fertility of a land with abundant water.
The bridge was the setting for the Battle of River Garigliano (1860) where the Savoy army was victorious over the Bourbons. On 14 November 1943, the German army, retreating from Rome after the Armistice, planted explosives on the arch in two places and blew it up, although the pylons and their bases were not permanently damaged. Restored in 1998, the bridge has been entrusted to the safekeeping of the archaeological complex of Minturno since 2007.
Roma Lazio Film Commission
Via Tuscolana 1055 — 00173 Roma
Phone: +39 06 72286273/320
Fax: +39 06 722 1127
Email: info@romalaziofilmcommission.it
