Ponte della Pia
An ancient stone bridge at the edge of the forest, whose perfect arch crosses the bed of the stream and is linked to a mysterious legend
For centuries the Ponte della Pia has stood joining the banks of the Rosia stream, on one side of the road that crosses the thick woods of the Montagnola Senese. Of Romanesque origin, the bridge was rebuilt during the Middle Ages: its current appearance is due to work carried out probably around the 13th century, when the bridge was an important passage along the ancient Via Massetana that connected Siena and Massa Marittima.
A single arch creates a round arch that rises above the bed of the stream; when the stony ground is completely dry and the waters flow exclusively underground, it is possible to walk down to admire the striking semi-circle of the bridge from below.
Although it is not equipped with parapets, Ponte della Pia can be crossed, with a little attention. The path that goes into the wood follows the remains of an archaic road, once called "Manliana": today as in the past, following the path you can reach the Hermitage of Santa Lucia, with a beautiful excursion through the lush forest that characterizes the entire Val di Merse.
Tradition has it that the name of the bridge is linked to the figure of Pia de' Tolomei, a Sienese noblewoman cited by Dante Alighieri in Canto V of the Purgatory. Forced to marry Nello d'Inghiramo Pannocchieschi, Pia was taken to Maremma and her end, although not entirely clear, was certainly tragic. According to legend, on some nights the ghost of the noblewoman hovers over the centuries-old arch, white and ethereal, without ever touching the stone of the bridge.
Not far from Ponte della Pia, and immersed in the same fairytale landscape that characterizes the territory of Sovicille, is the Colonna di Montarrenti, a fortified nucleus emerging from the treetops, where the Astronomical Observatory managed by the Unione Astrofili Senesi is located.
