The Ponte Santa Maria

The obscure fragment known today as the Ponte Rotto was at the center of major preservation efforts during the Renaissance, as a vital transportation corridor for the city of Rome. Ongoing expenses to preserve this infrastructure far surpassed those for the more famous Colosseum or Pantheon, and evenMichelangelo was involved in its repairs. The collapse of the bridge in 1557 was caused not by the Renaissance disregard for antiquity, but by overly exacting preservation requirements.

The obscure fragment known today as the Ponte Rotto was at the center of major preservation efforts during the Renaissance, as a vital transportation corridor for the city of Rome. Ongoing expenses to preserve this infrastructure far surpassed those for the more famous Colosseum or Pantheon, and evenMichelangelo was involved in its repairs. The collapse of the bridge in 1557 was caused not by the Renaissance disregard for antiquity, but by overly exacting preservation requirements.