The Muto (or Voze) bridge

A roman bridge in Val Ponci

The Muto (or Voze) bridge is situated in Val Ponci where the altimetry of the valley lowers drastically going from over 200 m to just 183 m a.s.l.

This bridge was also part of the Augustan structures of the via Iulia Augusta, initiated by the emperor Augustus in 13 B.C. so to connect the area of the Po Valley to southern Gaul. The road reached the coast at Vada Sabatia (Vado Ligure). Of all the infrastructures of this roman road in Val Ponci there are five bridges datable between the Augustan age and 125 CE.

The roman bridge is one the best preserved and is still complete with its single arch. It was built almost entirely with Finale Stone blocks along with, although in less quantity, blocks of dolomitic-limestone and quartzite.

This bridge was built in the area of Finale stone over a small affluent to the left of the Rio Ponci river, the Rio Landrazza, a little above the confluence in the main river. The bridge is characterised by a single arch with a width of 5,5 m, with double ring arch of 4,9 m made of cuneiform blocks and a height of 3,4 m from the riverbed.
14m2 of water flows through the bridge.

The bridge core-and-veneer abutments, with a cover of small square blocks following the petit appareil or “small apparatus” technique, are founded on the alluvial levels of Rio Landrazza, of which the riverbed seems eroded, with the deepening of its level of 1 m compared to the probable roman level that was brought to light during the restoration works carried out in 1923 and 1953.