The Roman bridge of Pietralunga is an archaeological remain in the Pietralunga district, in the westernmost part of the territory of Paternò, outside the town and near the banks of the Simeto. Its construction is dated to 164 BC, after the Roman conquest of Sicily: with two arches, it carried the main road between Catania and today's towns of Centuripe, Agira, Assoro and Enna, and also served to bring water to the Etna area.
What to see
Only ruins of the bridge remain, very low but more than four metres wide, the typical width of Roman roads to let two carts pass; it is about 23 metres long. It is built entirely of lava stone and is popularly called the «coscia del ponte», the bridge's thigh. Some stretches still stand, and their remains are used as irrigation channels for the surrounding fields.
It is not known exactly when or why the bridge was destroyed: probably the river's constant eddies undermined its stability. In the same area, in 1997, excavations by the heritage authority of Catania uncovered traces of human settlement and Bronze Age finds, suggesting an ancient village.
Visiting
The site is in open country, near the Simeto: access and conditions should be checked beforehand.
Our editors' tip
The territory of Paternò was also crossed by the aqueduct that carried water to Catania, twenty-four kilometres long, described by the sources as the longest in Roman Sicily.
