Ponte Pietra is a masterpiece of Verona and it is often considered as the symbol of the city after the Arena.
The current bridge was built in the 1st century AD to replace an old wooden deck built by Paleo-Venetian populations. At that time, the town on the crossroads of two important streets, Gallica and Postumia, was crowded with people. You could hear the horses trotting while towing two-wheeled wagons and smell the aromas of spices and other goods.
Today, only the two left-handed white stone arches date back to that time, but its simple design, with wide arches, which has been able to reduce the impact of the floods of the river for two millennia, was brilliant. In 1298, Alberto I of the Scala wanted to add a defensive tower adorned by the emblem of the Scaliger family. Such tower was destroyed the Germans, in 1945, during World War II.
The Bridge was faithfully rebuilt by retrieving the original materials from the riverbed and replacing the missing part with bricks to enhance the new parts.
It is amazing during the day and even more spectacular at night, thanks to light effects and the sound of the water.
Next to Ponte Pietra, in front of the Roman Theatre, there was the Ponte Postumio, a majestic and finely decorated bridge. It was used by the nobles, but it was too large and too heavy, and it collapsed a few centuries later.