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Roman Bridge (Saint-Thibéry)

Coordinates: 43°23′34″N 3°25′58″E / 43.392887°N 3.432836°E / 43.392887; 3.432836
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Roman Bridge
Coordinates43°23′34″N 3°25′58″E / 43.392887°N 3.432836°E / 43.392887; 3.432836
CarriesVia Domitia
CrossesHérault
LocaleSaint-Thibéry, Hérault, France
Characteristics
DesignSegmental arch bridge
MaterialStone
Total lengthApproximately 150 m (490 ft)
Width4 m (13 ft)
Longest span12 m (39 ft)
No. of spans9
History
Construction endReign of Augustus (30 BC–14 AD)
Location
Map

The Roman Bridge at Saint-Thibéry (French: Pont romain de Saint-Thibéry) was a Roman bridge on the Via Domitia in southern France.[1] The partly surviving structure crossed the river Hérault in Saint-Thibéry, 17 km (11 mi) east of Béziers.[2]

Construction

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Nearby water mill

The ancient bridge had nine arches with spans of 10–12 m. The roadway rested on wide piers, which were protected on both sides by arched floodways and large cutwaters.[2] The original length of the structure is estimated as 150 m (490 ft), its road width as 4 m.[2] The missing spans are known to have been destroyed by a flood some time before 1536.[2]

The remaining arches, with a span to rise ratio of 3.3:1 (115°) or more, show a visibly flatter profile than the semi-circular arches usually preferred by Roman engineers (180°).[1][2] The rib thickness varies between one-tenth to one-twentieth of the span, corresponding to a common ratio also observed at a number of other Roman stone bridges.[3] The structure is dated to the reign of emperor Augustus (r. 27 BC – AD 14). Immediately upstream an old water mill and its millrace is located.[2]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b O’Connor 1993, p. 171
  2. ^ a b c d e f O’Connor 1993, pp. 98–99
  3. ^ O’Connor 1993, p. 169f.

Sources

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  • O’Connor, Colin (1993), Roman Bridges, Cambridge University Press, pp. 98f. (G11), 169–171, ISBN 0-521-39326-4
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Media related to Roman Bridge (Saint-Thibéry) at Wikimedia Commons