from the FAI website "In the territory of the Agro Tiburtino Prenestino you can get to know Ponte Lupo, the most impressive stretch of the Aqua Marcia, the longest aqueduct of ancient Rome (about 91 km), built by Quinto Marcio Re between 144 and 140 BC, famous for the freshness and clarity of the water collected from the springs of Marano Equo, between Agosta and Arsoli. Even though it ran underground for over 80 km, it was necessary to build some bridges to overcome the valleys intercepted by the aqueduct. Ponte Lupo it was built to cross the Red Water Ditch, the legendary place where the battle between Horatii and Curiazi took place, renamed in the 19th century "valley of the dead" due to the abundance of human and archaeological finds discovered at the time. , has been the subject of several renovations and restorations, testifying to a use that lasted at least ten centuries. The final result is a composite work artefact, a diachronic palimpsest of construction techniques, approximately 115 meters long, often over 18 meters and surmounted by a driveway that runs at a height of over 30 metres. After a very long period of oblivion, Ponte Lupo was rediscovered and studied at the end of the 19th century by the British archaeologist Thomas Ashby, who stated "This bridge is the most famous and most interesting of all the aqueduct bridges".
You can reach the Ponte Lupo by bike from Gallicano via Via Le Pratelle > Via Colle Fattore > where at house no. 44 (N 41.890701 E 12.808588) the road bends 40° to the left, continue straight ahead over a rusty gate lying on the ground into a trail. Follow the path that leads behind fenced properties. After 2.3 plots of land it bends to the right and leads through bushes down into the valley into a large field. Across the field downhill, i.e. downhill to the right and downhill in the middle of the field through a tractor path slightly to the right downhill to the stream bed. Follow the stream bed to the right, i.e. up the river to Ponte Lupo.
Then it's best to continue on to Via Polense: To do this, first climb up to the top of the Ponte (via a steep trail on the north-east side of the Ponte). From there a path leads straight (past a rusty car) to Via Polense.
Attention: Towards Via Polense, the property on which the Ponte Lupo is located (Tenuta di S. Giovanni in Campo Grazia) is fenced in for more than km. Cycle along the fence to the left in the direction of Tivoli. At road kilometer 30.1 you can crawl under two gates that are chained together onto Via Polense. Even the bike fits through underneath ...
Translated by Google •
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