Ponte Milvio

Ponte Milvio stands as one of Rome’s oldest bridges, with its history reaching back to ancient times. The first pedestrian-only bridge was constructed here in 206 BC, serving as a vital crossing over the Tiber River along the Roman Via Flaminia. In 115 BC, the original bridge was torn down and rebuilt, marking just the beginning of many restorations and changes that would come over the centuries.

Modern Traditions and Love Padlocks

In recent years, Ponte Milvio has gained new attention thanks to a unique tradition inspired by a popular movie. Starting in 2006, couples began visiting the bridge to declare their love by attaching padlocks to a lamppost—a symbolic gesture where they would lock the padlock and then throw the key into the river below. The weight of so many promises eventually caused the lamppost to collapse in 2007.

Understanding the meaning behind this ritual, city officials installed sturdy steel posts on the bridge, allowing visitors to continue the custom. Today, these posts are covered in padlocks, each representing a couple’s shared secret, making Ponte Milvio a place where history and modern romance meet along the banks of the Tiber.