Longitude: 12°48'41.45"E
elev 628 ft.
While exploring the region with Google Earth, in preparation for my trip to the site, I noticed a well defined road that passed through some fields. Suspecting that this was a continuation of the Prenestina, I zeroed in on it. There wasn't a street level view of this section, so I garnered what information I could from the satellite image. I noticed a pronounced triangular shadow around the beginning of this stretch. While initially Google searching for the Tagliata, I found some information on a Roman bridge in the area, so I concluded that this was it. During some follow up research, I learned that the name of the bridge was the Ponte Amato.
After passing through the Tagliata di Santa Maria Cavamonte, in search of the end of that section of the ancient road, I rounded a corner and I could see the Ponte Amato in the distance. This was a well maintained archeological park. The section of the Prenestina, as well as the bridge, are well preserved. I found the beginning of the pavers emerging from under a soil mound, obviously excavated.
The road headed through the field to the northeast.
Though clearly built well before the Middle Ages, The Ponte Amato was named after Count Amatus, who was instrumental following the dark ages in the restoration of Italy. I believe the bridge was built sometime around 100-150 AD and restored in the early 1900's.
The wear marks were filled with mud which made them a little easier to identify.
Near the end of the road, grass and shrubbery began to consume the pavers.
A wall had been built at the very end.
Below is a picture I took looking back on the road. In the field to the left I found a pile of pavers.
I couldn't tell where these came from. They didn't look like they had been there for all that long. It wasn't unusual to see pavers that had been dug up and reused for a contemporary driveway or path. According to Italian law, all antiquities are the property of the government, making it a crime for anyone to appropriate these.
A contemporary bridge was built across the stream about 50 feet from the Ponte Amato.
By this time in my trip it was starting to warm up. It seemed like a good time for the vipers to come out and start warming themselves, so I was hesitant to walk through the grass to take a look under the bridge.
"Screw it". I cautiously ventured underneath the arch.
The video below is titled 350 Steps on the Via Prenestina Antica. It documents the complete walk from one end of this section to the other.
Directions
View Ponte Amato in a larger map
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