Heritage: Pont-Saint-Martin

An impressive testimony of the Romanization of Valle d’Aosta. Its date is uncertain: according to some it is said to have been built around 120 B.C. while others attribute it to 25 B.C.

The bridge
It is anchored to the live rock on both sides, 25 metres high and its single arch is 35 metres wide. At its base, dug into the live rock, you can see the bearings for the wooden beams which provided the necessary framework for the construction of the stone arch. At the end of the nineteenth century some iron crowns were added to strengthen the structure. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, further down in the valley, another wooden bridge was built, it was later replaced in 1876 by the current brick structure.

The legend
Popular imagination has attributed the construction of the bridge to the devil. According to legend, Saint Martin, the Bishop of Tours, found himself obstructed by the Lys river on his way back from Italy to his dioceses, the river had swept way the only walkway during a flood. The devil proposed that the problem be solved by building a solid bridge in just one night, but in exchange he requested the soul of the first person to cross that bridge. The saint accepted, but the next morning, throwing a piece of bread over to the other side of the bridge, he made sure that the first creature to cross the bridge was a hungry dog. The devil was furious and disappeared into the Lys amidst bolts of lightening and blasts of sulphur and the local population was left with the bridge. This legend still constitutes one of the main themes of the Pont-Saint-Martin carnival, which concludes with the burning of a devil in effigy under the Roman bridge.

Its construction began in 1883 on a rock overlooking the ancient burg, as wished by Pietro Annibale Baraing, one of the most important figures in Pont-Saint-Martin.
Built in neo-gothic style, according to the style of the era, it was surrounded by a large garden with greenhouses and fountains, and its construction was completed in 1893.
In 1931 it was donated to the municipality of Pont-Saint-Martin, which turned it into the town hall. In the post-war period up to the 1960s, it housed the Regional Employment Offices.
After being left in abandonment for several years, it was refurbished and is now the headquarters of the Mont Rose Mountain Municipal District.

Formerly known as della Rivoire, the castle was built in different phases and used as a residence by the lords of Pont-Saint-Martin starting from the end of the 15th century. Remodeled several times, while still maintaining various significant aspects, in its primitive forms the structure could be identified as a rural fortification (hence the name of a stronghold), but its function, as well as defensive, was also ostentatious, meeting the need to underline the prestige enjoyed by the owners.
The building is spread over four floors: a basement room, with the function of a warehouse or room for the processing of agricultural products, two floors representing the main floors and a third, with seat windows, with more modest living characteristics.
On the south-west side there is a projecting body that rests on superimposed shelves of squared stone. To the north-west, towards via Castello, the original wall structure is clearly visible, made of stones and lime mortar; at the top a characteristic fireplace stands out. On the north-east side are the entrance and the stairwell which leads to the mezzanine and the two raised floors. Various interesting elements also present the south-east side, which overlooks the internal courtyard: three windows with grating, a wooden balcony resting on a system of shelves, beams and lightning bolts and finally the dovecote.
The restoration carried out in 2012 made it possible to recover the building by removing it from neglect and the signs of aging and allowing it to be returned to the population and to all those interested in the history of the country.

Visit
After the renovation, the stronghold of the lords of Pont-Saint-Martin has become the home no longer of noble families, but of talents and culture, a museum and cultural center that worthily return this historic building to the community in all its splendor.

In addition to some drawings by the master Francesco Corni, the structure houses various period furnishings belonging to the collections of the regional administration, set up on the main floor together with the exhibition “Presenze”, antique clothes and linen interpreted by Daniela Evangelisti .
The third floor is dedicated to the works of the sculptor Cristiano Nicoletta, made available by the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage and Activities of the Autonomous Region of Valle d’Aosta, as well as to the exhibition “The bombing of Pont Saint Martin - 1944” . Finally, going up to the last level is the photographic exhibition “Vignobles” curated by Enrico Peyrot.

The museum is dedicated to the magnificent bridge built by the Romans in the 1st century BC, whose arch is the widest among those existing in Europe, dating back to the same era.

An interesting series of photographs, drawings and documents allows to acquire any kind of information about the ‘‘Devil’s Bridge’‘: the materials and techniques used for its construction, legends about the bridge, the 19th-century restoration, the narrow escape from allied bombing in August 1944.
The Roman bridge museum is also the departure point for an all-round visit to the village of Pont-Saint-Martin, presented in a video projected in the same room.