Guided Tour of the Pont Saint Martin bridge

Pont Saint Martin bridge was built during the 1st century B.C. and is an important evidence of the Roman Road to Gaul. It is anchored to the live rock on both sides, 25 meters high and its single arch is 36 meters long. Dug into the live rock are visible the bearings for the wooden beams that provided the necessary framework for the construction. The bridge lost its function during the 19th century, when another wooden bridge was built and replaced in 1876 by the current masonry bridge.

The legend goes that the bridge was built by the devil. According to legend, Saint Martin, the Bishop of Tours, found himself obstructed by the Lys river during one of his journeys. The devil proposed to build a solid bridge in just one night, but in exchange he requested the soul of the first to cross that bridge. The saint accepted, but the next morning, tossing a piece of bread over to the other side of the bridge, the first creature to cross the bridge was a dog. The devil was furious and disappeared into the Lys amidst bolts and shouts, while the local population was left with the bridge.

This legend still lives today as the main theme of the Pont-Saint-Martin carnival.

Discover here all the guided tours of the Roman archaeological sites of the Aosta Valley