Sunday, April 18, 2010

ponte dei 4 capi


Janus camouflaged in the foliage



The Ponte dei Quattro Capi–also known as Ponte Fabricio, and Pons Judaeorumis the oldest Roman bridge in the city still existing in its original state. The footbridge spans half of the Tiber River, from the Jewish ghetto on the east side, to the Isola Tiberina, the island on the Tiber. 

The 200-foot long pedestrian bridge was built in 62 B.C. to replace an earlier wooden one destroyed in a fire, and has since then endured.

Quattro Capi ("four heads") refers to the two marble pillars on the parapet each depicting a two-faced Janus on the herms–a squared stone pillar with a carved head on top, first used in ancient Greece as a boundary marker or a signpost.

In Roman mythology, Janus was the god of gates, doors, doorways, beginnings and endings. His most prominent remnant in modern culture is his namesake, the month of January, which opens the new year. He is always portrayed as having two faces or heads, each facing in opposite directions.

For more Sunday Bridge Series images from around the world, please visit San Fancisco Bay Daily Photo.



33 comments:

  1. Eleonora-
    Is the bridge still in it's original form, 2000 years later? That's incredible!a
    Grazie!
    Ann

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  2. The B&W has a very romantic feeling about it. Beautiful shot. Have a wonderful day.

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  3. Wow!
    Beautiful images - each one in its own way!

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  4. 62 B.C. - wow, that's old and incredible! I really like the monochrome.

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  5. Shalom Eleonora.
    Thanks for these lovely pictures.
    Nice to know there is such an old Pons Judaeorum!

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  6. Thank you all for your visit and comments!

    Louis~ Merci!
    Randy~ Thank you, and the same to you.
    Ann~ Yes, still holding fast like many other buildings and monuments here!
    Lachezar~ Thank you!
    T.Becque~ I took these at midnight last night on my way home from a party. The BW is my fave too...
    Dina~ Shalom and welcome to Roma seen through my lens! The "ghetto" is my favorte part of the city!

    Ciao!

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  7. I was just looking for some recent pictures of this renowned bridge, thank you for your perfect timing...
    Both pictures are great, but my favorite is the first, and I am not a B&W fan!

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  8. Fantastic to see these wonderfull photos shot 2010 of a bridge build 2072 years ago and still functioning!

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  9. Absolutely lovely photos. It's been too long since I've been to Rome -only 2 years but it seems like a lifetime! Have a wonderful Sunday.

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  10. Your photos are magnificent!

    My bridge:
    http://moreofme24.blogspot.com/2010/04/bridge-over-holland-marsh-canal.html

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  11. They certainly knew how to build them back then.

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  12. What a great shot...I love how you did this at night.

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  13. Ciao and thanks for stopping by with your kind words!

    VP~ Glad you enjoyed these! Perfect timing.
    Jørgen~ Sometimes we locals take this all for granted, but it is indeed astounding.
    Cieldequimper~ Thank you for your kind visit and lovely comment. If it's been 2 yrs, it's time to come back!!
    Rosemary~ Grazie!
    EG Wow~ Thank you, I'll be over to visit soon.
    B Squared~ Yes, the ancient Romans were remarkable engineers! My city has an amazing number of bridges, I love them!
    Neva~ It was fun! And amazing to think of everyone out for a walk at midnight!

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  14. Lola, that first bridge image in BW is a stunning photo!! I really like the people and atmosphere you've created!

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  15. Both are superb but for some reason I prefer the color photo. Something about how still the leaves are so late at night. And how a warm yellow light beckons. The contrast between the two photos makes it seem like they were taken in different seasons.

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  16. Ciao friends, thanks for your visit!

    Chuck~ Thanks my friend.
    ODP~ They were taken on the same warm night, within minutes of each other, actually! Color (or the lack of it) does wonders.

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  17. It is amazing that the bridge is still intact. I am sure it has many stories to tell :)

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  18. Beautiful and amazing architecture and engineering. Love the dramatic lighting of the photos.

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  19. Amazing! It's perfectly similar to our Ponte Pietra, the oldest bridge in Verona, in front of the roman theatre...

    Ciao bella, come state? Il bimbo? Scrivi quando puoi, un abbraccio xxx

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  20. I had no idea of the bridge's history, but I'm quite sure I walked across the bridge more than once in past visits to Rome. Thanks for enriching my memories of it.

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  21. It's a beautiful bridge and these are lovely night shots!

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  22. this. is. very. cool.

    paz

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  23. Ciao Rome-lovers! Thanks for your visit.

    Loree~ I'm sure it has. The island it connects to the mainland is another great place too.
    Espresso~ Thank you, you too!
    Gogouci~ Shooting at night like this with no lighting was a fun new experiment for me too!
    Valeria~ Sarei curiosa di sapere di che anno è il Ponte di Pietra a VR, chissà se c'era una sorta di "franchising" dei ponti all'epoca...
    Mary Ann~ Thank you for walking across it today too!
    Lois~ Thank you, I'm happy you enjoy them.
    Paz~ Grazie! I'm blushing...

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  24. Bonito puente, las fotografias fantasticas las dos esas luces me encantan...un abrazo

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  25. Very cool bridge shot. I like the movement on the first one. And the second one has a creepy atmosphere. Very nice!

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  26. That first picture is stunning, and so well made technically. It's a still out of a Fellini film, but which one?

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  27. Grazie for your visit!

    Catarina~ Gracias, mi amiga.
    Halcyon~ I agree on the creepiness!
    Bob~ Thank you! Fellini's "La Strada," perhaps? Are you an Italian film lover? We should talk...

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  28. Oh wow! I love the picture of the bridge. It looks like something out of a fairy tale!


    http://mysocalledfeudallife.blogspot.com/

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  29. Love the b&w pic. Love the place too... perfect stroll for a spring night.

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  30. Though the second photo is quite haunting, the black and white is stunning and I can't stop looking at it! Love it.

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Thank you for visiting Roma Every Day. Your feedback is always hugely appreciated, though it is no longer possible for me to reply individually to your comments in the post thread.

For any questions, please feel free to send me an email.

Grazie!
~Eleonora

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