Ponte Umberto Primo, Rome

Ponte Umberto Primo is the bridge before you. It is dedicated to King Umberto I of Italy. Angelo Vescovali designed it, and construction lasted from eighteen eighty-five until eighteen ninety-five; the king opened it with Queen Margherita of Savoy.

Its three masonry arches wear travertine and stone from Subiaco, giving the crossing a monumental finish. The bridge joins the Palace of Justice, widely nicknamed the Palazzaccio, with the streets around Piazza Navona, linking the Ponte and Prati quarters. It measures about one hundred and five metres from end to end.

Notice the unusual traffic arrangement: vehicles use the left-hand side here, unlike the normal Italian rule, while a raised fenced divider separates the flows. The long, low arch sequence makes a handsome frame for the river.