PONTE ROMANO RICOSTRUITO IN U.K.

Ancora un ulteriore esempio di amore per il proprio passato, per la propria storia ci giunge dalla Gran Bretagna. E' il giornale online Journal di questi giorni a darci la notizia che un ponte romano sul fiume Tyne, nel Nothumberland, quasi del tutto crollato in pezzi nelle acque del fiume, è stato rimesso a nuovo, ricostruito interamente con il recupero di gran parte dei blocchi rimasti per secoli sul fondo del Tyne.

Non tutto, purtroppo, è stato recuperato perché in passato, approfittando del crollo di molti blocchi di pietra decorata causato dall' erosione delle acque alquanto turbolente, gli operai del luogo avevano utilizzato molti di quegli stessi blocchi per la costruzione di una chiesetta nell'area di Corbridge.

Infatti, secondo il Journal, "Research also showed that the bridge was the source of the stones used in the construction of the crypt of the church built by St Wilfrid in Hexham in 674AD, which is now beneath Hexham Abbey"

Cioè, "Le ricerche hanno dimostrato che il ponte fu la fonte delle pietre impiegate nella costruzione della cripta della chiesa eretta da San Wilfredo ad Hexham nell'anno 674 d.C, che attualmente si trova al di sotto dell'Abbazia di Hexham".

Ed ecco qualche altro particolare sul ponte.

"The bridge carried Dere Street, the main South-North road, over the Tyne to the important Roman fort and supply base at Corbridge – and was built accordingly.

The excavations revealed that the bridge, built around 160AD, had between six and 10 arches and was probably highly decorated with columns, elaborate parapets, altars and statues of gods and the emperor and his family."

"Il ponte includeva Dere Street, la principale strada Sud-Nord, sul Tyne verso l'importante forte romano e campo base di Corbridge, e fu costruito proprio a questo scopo. Gli scavi hanno rivelato che il ponte, costruito verso il 160 d.C., aveva da sei a dieci arcate ed era probabilmente riccamente decorato e abbellito con colonne, parapetti artistici, altari e statue di divinità, dell'imperatore e della sua famiglia."

La descrizione prosegue così:

“It would have been a magnificent entry point to the Hadrian’s Wall area,” said Paul Bidwell, senior manager at Tyne and Wear Museums’ Archaeology.

“At the point of transition between the civil and military zone, the bridge, like many buildings in the military area, would have been a manifestation of the power of the emperor and would have made it obvious that this was the frontier area."

"Questo doveva essere un magnifico punto di ingresso nella zona del Vallo Adriano," ha dichiarato Paul Bidwell, direttore anziano dei musei di Archeologia del Tyne e Wear.

"Nel punto di transizione fra la zona civile e quella militare, il ponte, a somiglianza di molte altre costruzioni nell'area militare, sarebbe stata una dimostrazione della potenza dell'imperatore per l'ovvio motivo che questa era una zona di frontiera."

La notizia ha fatto sicuramente un immenso piacere agli amanti del passato e a tutti coloro i quali rispettano e amano le testimonianze di civiltà che ci sono giunte dai nostri progenitori, in contrasto con la barbarie che invece spesso ci abbrutisce terribilmente, un po' dappertutto sul nostro pianeta. Basta guardarsi intorno per rendersene conto.

Ed ecco come gli abitanti del luogo hanno valorizzato il ponte e l'area circostante dal punto di vista turistico. Basta cliccare qui:

Hadrian's Wall Holidays

Luxury Holiday Cottages

Roman bridge put back together again

Jan 12 2008 by Tony Henderson, The Journal

REMAINS of what was one of the biggest Roman bridges to be built in Britain have been reassembled on the banks of the River Tyne.

The 50ft long and 10ft high reconstruction is opposite Corbridge Roman site in Northumberland and near the spot where the ornate stone bridge spanned the river.

Excavations rescued stonework from the bridge which was threatened by river erosion.

The bridge carried Dere Street, the main South-North road, over the Tyne to the important Roman fort and supply base at Corbridge – and was built accordingly.

The excavations revealed that the bridge, built around 160AD, had between six and 10 arches and was probably highly decorated with columns, elaborate parapets, altars and statues of gods and the emperor and his family.

“It would have been a magnificent entry point to the Hadrian’s Wall area,” said Paul Bidwell, senior manager at Tyne and Wear Museums’ Archaeology.

“At the point of transition between the civil and military zone, the bridge, like many buildings in the military area, would have been a manifestation of the power of the emperor and would have made it obvious that this was the frontier area.

“Travellers coming up Dere Street, having passed through sparsely-populated areas, would have come down into the Tyne Valley and would have seen the military area spread out before them, and this huge bridge at Corbridge must have been an entrancing sight.”

Another stone bridge was built over the Tyne at Chesters fort at Chollerford, which Paul has excavated.

He said that no stone Roman bridges have been found in the south of England, with even the span over the Thames at London built in wood.

A ramp took the road up to the level of the Corbridge bridge, which was eight metres above the riverside.

Around the 5th Century, after the Roman occupation had ended, the ramp was undermined by river erosion and collapsed, which meant that the span went out of use.

Research also showed that the bridge was the source of the stones used in the construction of the crypt of the church built by St Wilfrid in Hexham in 674AD, which is now beneath Hexham Abbey.

It is thought that the collapse of the bridge in the Anglo-Saxon period led to the settlement shift from the Roman site at Corbridge to the site of the present village further downstream where the river could be forded.

Hundreds of tonnes of stone from the bridge remain on the river bed, but the blocks which were retrieved were rebuilt in an operation led by Tyne and Wears Museums technical manager Ken McQueen and his deputy, Fred Beavers.

The reassembled remains are on the south bank of the river, on land which is accessible at all times.

There is a large car park at the southern end of the present bridge over the Tyne at Corbridge.

A gate from the car park leads to the riverside and the new display is five minutes’ walk upstream.