Ponte Azzone Visconti

About

The Azzone Visconti Bridge is a medieval bridge over the Adda River at Lecco in Lombardy, Italy. It was built by Azzone Visconti, Lord of Milan, in the first half of the 14th century to connect Lecco to the road leading to Milan. Initially, it had towers and drawbridges controlling the city's entrance. Over the following centuries, it underwent demolitions and restorations. Today, the Azzone Visconti Bridge is open to two car lanes and continues to serve as a bridge connecting Lecco with the opposite bank of the Adda.

History: In 1335, Lecco spontaneously submitted to the lordship of Azzone Visconti, lord of Milan since 1328. Around 1336, Azzone built the bridge over the Adda River to connect Lecco with the road leading to Milan. The bridge had eight arches of unequal widths. It had two towers, each with a drawbridge, which controlled the passage and entrance to Lecco. In the center of the bridge, there was a small fortress. The fortifications of the bridge completed the defense of Lecco. Between 1349 and 1354, Giovanni Visconti, archbishop and lord of Milan, had two spans added on the western side. In the 15th century, the Como inhabitants, suffering from flooding from the lake...