Ponte Lucano

The bridge which dates to the first century BC crosses the Aniene in the vicinity of Tibur (Tivoli) and consists of seven stone arches which carried traffic on the via Tiburtina up to the 20th century. In modern times the road was rerouted a little further north over a new bridge. The archeological site also includes the mausoleum of the Plautii, a great round tower on the south bank of the river, that dates to the first century BC, and the ruins of an inn dating from the 15th century. The Plautii were an illustrious Roman family who counted amongst its members Gaius Plautius Proculus, Gaius Plautius Venox and Marcus Plautius Silvanus. One of the inscriptions found on the tower include the following text that indicates that Marcus Plautius Lucanus and Tiberius Claudius Nero built the bridge at the fourteenth mile of the Via Tiburtina: M PLAVTIVS | M F ANIEN | LVCANVS | TI. CLAVDIVS | TI. F PAL. | NERO. AED. CVR | PR. CENS. TTVIR. V | M. XIV == Restoration works ==

The ensemble of monuments has survived centuries relatively intact, but is in dire need of repairs. In 2004, during flooding of the Aniene, due in part to the blockage caused by illegal industrial dumping, the decision was taken to restore these monuments and to integrate them progressively into a more welcoming setting. File:Piranesi-3012.jpg|Tomb of the Plautii, engraving by Piranesi, 1756 File:Pietro della Valle, Il ponte lucano sulla via di Tivoli, 1880.jpg|Pont Lucano and the mausoleum of the Plautii, oil on canvas (1880), Pietro Della Valle (1827–1891) == Notes and references ==