Borgo a Mozzano

When I travel, I collect pyramids, train trips, ancient wonders, Art Deco cities and more by visiting them and writing down the where and when. One of my favorite collection categories is “bridges,” and I came across one of the most unique purely by accident in February ’06.

I was in Italy, hitting some of the sites I’d missed and rehitting others — Lucca, to be specific — and as evening fell I boarded the train to return to Pisa. However, I got on the wrong train and ended up heading north. Somewhat later I saw the most magnificent bridge in the world. The train shot by it before I got my camera out, and I ended up in the mountain town of Castelnuovo. I made it back to Pisa vowing to find that bridge, and I did the next evening.

Located 12 miles north of Lucca in the town of Mozzano, it is named Borgo a Mozzano. It is also called the Ponte della Maddalena and the Detto del Diavolo (Devil’s Bridge). There are references to it prior to A.D. 1000, though supposedly it was constructed around A.D. 1100. Reconstruction 200 years later is said to have given it its present appearance.

My photos don’t do it justice; I was excited and the sun was setting. To the right of the main arch are three, not two, smaller arches, and the ugly one to the left was added in 1900 for trains like the one I was riding on.

Anyway, I “discovered” it (albeit by accident), and it should be named after me.

R. KURT SHAFER

Chatsworth, IL