The Roman Bridge (German: Römerbrücke) is an ancient structure in Trier, Germany, over the Moselle. It is the oldest standing bridge in the country, and the oldest Roman bridge north of the Alps.[1] The nine bridge pillars date from the 2nd century AD, replacing two older, wooden bridges that date at least as far back as 17 BC.[1] In Roman times, tossing a coin off of the bridge into the Moselle was an offering of good luck.[1] The upper part was renewed twice, in the early 12th and in the early 18th century, after suffering destruction in war. Along with other Roman and Early Gothic sites in Trier, the bridge was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1986 because of its historical importance and architecture.[2]
Roman Bridge Römerbrücke | |
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Coordinates | 49°45′07″N 6°37′35″E / 49.7519°N 6.6265°E |
Crosses | Moselle |
Locale | Trier, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany |
Characteristics | |
Material | Stone |
History | |
Construction end | 2nd century AD |
Official name | Moselle Bridge |
Part of | Roman Monuments, Cathedral of St Peter and Church of Our Lady in Trier |
Criteria | Cultural: (i), (iii), (iv), (vi) |
Reference | 367-002 |
Inscription | 1986 (10th Session) |
Location | |
Historical views
edit-
Emperor's Maneuver, parade of the 8th (Rhenish) Cuirassiers (1893)
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Etching by Fritz Quant (c. 1910)
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Postcard (1910)
Further reading
edit- O'Connor, Colin (1993), Roman Bridges, Cambridge University Press, p. 141 (T11), ISBN 0-521-39326-4
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c "The Roman Bridge - Places of Interest".
- ^ "Roman Monuments, Cathedral of St Peter and Church of Our Lady in Trier". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
External links
editMedia related to Römerbrücke (Trier) at Wikimedia Commons
- Trier Roman Bridge at Structurae
- Traianus – Technical investigation of Roman public works
- Site of the Römerbrücke in Google Maps