Trascrizione
The Tota Italia journey draws to a worthy close and before visitors leave the Scuderie del Quirinale, they can imagine taking flight and winging as far as a bridge over the Tiber.
Ponte Sisto, a bridge well known to the Romans.
Pope Sixtus IV rebuilt the bridge at the end of the 15th century but before then it had already been rebuilt on another occasion. From 365 to 367 AD, the emperors Valentìnian and Vàlens commissioned a restoration of a bridge that had already existed for a couple of centuries.
The new bridge was also to celebrate Valens’ fifth year as emperor and Valentinian’s ten-year reign.
Therefore the work was to be splendid and for this reason priceless bronze sculptures of previous eras were reused.
These included a Winged Victory in a dominant position, dating back to the 1st century AD, a symbol of the imperial power and invincible strength of Rome.