Ponte Molino

Bridge and Historic Building in Padova

Ponte Molino, Padua, Italy
CC BY-SA 3.0 / Gun Powder Ma

The Ponte Molino is a Roman bridge with five arches built across the Bacchiglione in Padua, Italy. It was originally built between 30 and 40 AD and restored in the Middle Ages and in the 19th century. It is one of few surviving Roman bridges in Padua and one of the very few ancient bridges built to be crossed not just by pedestrians but also by vehicles.

Apart from the Ponte Molino, there are other extant Roman bridges in Padua: Ponte San Lorenzo, Ponte Altinate and Ponte Corbo, all three also featuring segmented arches, as well as Ponte S. Matteo.

In the thirteenth century it was protected by defensive structures, as evidenced by the Tower of Ezzelino. Under its arches, as early as the 10th century, numerous floating mills were planted and crowded under the five arches of the bridge. The thirty-three water wheels worked until 1883, when the mills were ruined by a flood and then demolished. Today the monument awaits a careful re-evaluation.

The Ponte Molino appears in our Complete Guide to Visiting Padova!

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Visiting Ponte Molino

Hours:

24 Hours


Price:

Free

Address: Ponte Molino, Via Dante Alighieri, Padua, Province of Padua, Italy
Duration: 10 minutes

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