Puìnt dal Diàul
The Devil's Bridge (Ponte del Diavolo in Italian or Puìnt dal Diàul in Friulian) is one of the symbols of Cividale del Friuli.
It rests on a natural boulder located in the bed of the Natisone River, along which you can admire a scenic gorge; built in stone starting from 1442 and divided into two arches, the bridge is 22.50 m high, rests on three piers and spans 48 m over two arches of different widths (22 m and 19 m).
The construction
It is known for certain that until the 13th century there was a wooden passage, frequently subjected to the destructive fury of the river's waters; thus emerged the need to replace it with a more solid stone construction.
The project for the new bridge was developed by Iacopo Dugaro da Bissone, with whom the Municipality signed a contract on December 11, 1441. The work continued through an endless series of setbacks and extended almost to the beginning of the 16th century.
During the tragic events of the retreat from Caporetto, in the absurd and useless attempt to delay the enemy's advance (the Austro-German army was certainly not interested in crossing the Natisone at Cividale, but rather in continuing its advance towards Udine), the construction was demolished by the Italian army: it was October 27, 1917.
The bridge was promptly rebuilt, in the same form, by the Austrians under the direction of Anselmo Nowak and inaugurated on May 18, 1918. Subsequently, it suffered limited damage in 1945 at the hands of German soldiers.
Why Ponte del Diavolo?
The name of the bridge derives from a popular legend, likely fueled by the troubled construction history of the structure: it is said that to build the bridge, the people of Cividale asked for the Devil's help.
He would have demanded in return the soul of the first creature to cross the bridge. After accepting the pact, in a single night the Devil erected the bridge, but the next morning the citizens let an animal (either a cat, a dog, or even a pig, according to other versions: it seems that at certain times of the year someone heard noises, similar to grunts, coming from the riverbed around the bridge) cross the bridge. The Devil, thus tricked, had to settle for the soul of the animal, leaving the people of Cividale in peace forever.
According to another widely spread version, the devil merely simplified the construction of the work by placing the large stone on which the central pillar of the bridge rests.
(source: wikipedia)
