- BAIA: THE MISTERIES OF THE
OLOFERNE'S BRIDGE -
Hypothetic and very approximate drawing
of
the huge structure of the Oloferne's Bridge
The Oloferne's
Bridge yet represents another true "puzzle" among the whole history of Baia e Latina,
simply because about it we actually... don't really know that much!! Of what
shoulda have probably been a very bulky building, unlike, now remains just a
pile of stones and some
ruins spreaded all around in the area where it originally was. But, anyway, this
little material left over it's definitely enough to let us just imagine how huge
shoulda have been the bridge once sited in this place. All what we know is that
the bridge has been a silent witness in the centuries of all the hystorical ups
and downs of the area and, more, it has seen the moving of various Roman Legions
once allocated in the area (between them, we must also say about the Legions of
the great Annibale, as reported from some historians: but, behind this, we just
know a little or nothing more about it. Just a few historical treaties talks
about it and all the studious that tried to make searches about the bridge
starting from its ruins, has often reached conflicting issues, 'til that
actually we neither know nor its shape nor its real original size... Said this,
everything keep on looking much more obscure and mysterious, if we just think
that it has been finally proved that the bridge was surely a mainly important
strategic way for the area: this is also demonstrated by the impressiveness look
of the building and by such a numerous particulars that shows without any
reasonable doubt that the bridge were builded using any possible technical care,
to let it endure without damages at all to the flowing of the time.
Today, all what's left of the original construction, is just the main bases of
the two giant piers sited on the opposite shores of the Volturno river (each one
has got a frontal width of over 18 metres!!); they're both quite damaged, even
if the one sited on Baia's shore side gives some
important
hints. First of all because it is still perfectly visible the trapezium shape of
the pillar (even if a part of it, is crumbled, putting in evidence its internal
filling, made up with some little round stones that the Romans used to call "Opus
Incertum"), but also because are absolutely evident the enormous white
'travertino' stone blocks, perfectly squared and polished that, sometime, has a
length of over a metre..! These blocks, were conveniently chained each other not
simply by using concrete, but also by some big lead grips about 30/35
centimetres long, that gave to the whole building an extraordinary solidity.
Well, all this could look a bit not too important, talking about the mystery of
this fallen' bridge, but the problem is right THIS, because a structure like this,
builded like this and by using this huge and strong material shoulda have last
in its place for centuries but, on the contrary, it mysteriously tumbled down
letting the legends around it start. In fact, there are no historical quotation
and/or no reports at all about how, when and why did it exactly come!! And here
starts once again the mistery of the Oloferne's Bridge and also here starts all the various
questions with no answer that surrounds the whole building: how came that a
construction like this, with its evident impressiveness and its incredible
solidity, has so miserably collapsed? How's possible that the collapsing of a
building like this has been about ignored? But, most of all, and especially
considering that if the pillars are so huge, the bridge shoulda have had a
titanic size, how comes that it absolutely doesn't exist any hystorical
information at all about it (except very rare hints lost somewhere in the past..)??
Another mistery...!
Last but not least, the collapsing of the bridge has also affected the peaceful
flowing of the Volturno river that, probably due to the incredible amount of
ruined material that suddenly crashed with a loud rumble on his way blocking his
normal flowing, has unnaturally diverged its course!! The result of this
accident is today still visible too, since this made up an out-of-place gravel
beach 200/300 metres long...
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2000/2008 Com.Per. Presepe Vivente Baia e Latina - All rights reserved.
Concept, Artwork, & Programming by ENZO MAIELLO.