Tiberius Bridge (Ponte di Tiberio) in Rimini is an Ancient Roman arched bridge begun by the Emperor Augustus and completed by Emperor Tiberius in approximately 20 AD.

Crossing the Marecchia River, the extremely well-preserved Tiberius Bridge is still in use today.

Tiberius Bridge history

Tiberius Bridge is the oldest bridge of Rimini and is currently one of the most visited attractions and architectural landmarks within the historic city centre.

Construction of the bridge began during the reign of Augustus, as part of his extensive series of public works for Rimini. Tiberius Bridge takes its name from Emperor Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus, as the bridge was completed under his reign. It is thought that the bridge was built over the seven years between 14 and 21 AD.

The bridge was built using Istrian stone and it marked the beginning of two important Roman roads, Via Aemilia towards Piacenza, and Via Popilia-Annia towards Aquileia.

Tiberius Bridge has been considered a national monument since 1885.

The structure survived battles and natural disasters but risked destruction during World War Two. In 1944, the Battle of Rimini took place between the Allied powers and Germany. In an attempt to stop the Allied offensive, the German army destroyed all the bridges on the Marecchia River. Whether because it was deemed useless or because every attempt at destruction failed Tiberius Bridge remained.

While there are many Roman bridges still standing after two millennia, Tiberius Bridge is particularly impressive as it is one of the very few that is still in use. It is still an integral part of the Rimini’s road system today.

Tiberius Bridge today

Today, the Tiberius bridge is open 24 hours a day to pedestrian and vehicular traffic, except for heavy goods vehicles.

The bridge connects Rimini’s centro storico with the borgo San Giuliano. During the summer months there are concerts and events staged in the canal with Tiberius Bridge as an impressive backdrop.

Getting to Tiberius Bridge

The bridge is at the beginning of two Roman consular roads, the Via Aemilia, built in 187 BC by Consul Aemilius Lepidus, linked Rimini to Piacenza and the Via Popilia leading to Ravenna, up to Aquileia and at the end of Corso d’Augusto. The site is accessible by public transport and the nearest train station is Rimini.