Rome’s Oldest Bridge： The 2,000-Year-Old Story of Ponte Fabricio

Rome is a city where history lives in plain sight — sometimes in places we cross without even noticing.
In this video, we explore Ponte Fabricio, the oldest surviving bridge in Rome, built in 62 BC during the Roman Republic. More than 2,000 years later, it still connects the left bank of the Tiber River to Tiber Island, quietly carrying pedestrians across the same stones used by ancient Romans.
Named after the Roman official Lucius Fabricius, the bridge is also known as the “Bridge of Four Heads.” As you step onto it near Rome’s historic Jewish Ghetto, you will notice carved depictions of Janus, the Roman god of doorways, beginnings, and transitions — a fitting guardian for a bridge that symbolizes passage from one place to another.
Janus is famously depicted with two faces, looking both forward and backward. The month of January is named after him, marking the beginning of the year. Roman mythology also tells us that Janus was the father of Tiberinus, the god of the Tiber River — making his presence here especially meaningful.
In ancient Rome, Tiber Island housed a temple dedicated to healing. Today, that tradition continues in a different form: the island is home to a major hospital, preserving its long association with medicine and care.
Join me for a brief journey into Rome’s engineering genius, mythology, and living history.

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