In the evocative setting of the Santa Caterina lagoon, at the entrance to the island of Sant'Antioco, the Roman bridge represents a one-of-a-kind engineering work in Sardinia.
Unlike most similar structures designed to cross watercourses or mountain differences in elevation, this monumental infrastructure was created to directly connect an island to the Sardinian mainland by exploiting the system of islets along the isthmus.
Built during the 1st century AD, when the ancient city of Sulky was experiencing a phase of extraordinary commercial splendor within the western Mediterranean, the artifact constituted the terminal stretch of the great road connecting Karalis, modern-day Cagliari, with the important Sulcitane center. The imposing original layout, constructed with squared stone blocks and featuring multiple arches, allowed the constant passage of goods and travelers across the lagoon.
Traditionally known also by the dialectal name Su Ponti Mannu (the great bridge), the site has traversed the centuries undergoing modifications, damages, and restoration interventions in different eras, including those of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Used for a long time and subsequently flanked by modern infrastructure such as the railroad, the bridge was eventually decommissioned from ordinary traffic in the mid-20th century, transforming into a fine historical monument that bears witness to two thousand years of history and connections among the lands of southern Sardinia.
