Crossing the Serchio River near the town of Borgo a Mozzano is the stunning Ponte del Diavolo, Bridge of the Devil.
Commissioned by Countess Matilda of Tuscany and completed around 1100, it became an important medieval pilgrimage route to Rome from France.
Legend has it that the stone mason was struggling to complete the bridge on time and so, asked the Devil for help. The Devil accepted, with the payment being the soul of the first to cross the bridge. Long story short, a pig was sent across first. The Devil was so angry, he threw himself into the river and disappeared.
On a gloomy day it’s easy to imagine the Devil lurking in the murky depths.
In 1500, the bridge became known as Ponte della Maddalena, from an oratory dedicated to Mary Magdalene, whose statue stood at the foot of the bridge on the eastern bank.
On a perfect spring day, the Devil is nowhere to be seen.
cannonhillchronicles 
my feet are getting itchy again – looks idyllic !
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There’s only one way to scratch that itch.
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Looks gorgeous – quite an engineering feat for 1100!
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I think the same thing when looking at the enormous castles and cathedrals.
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I gaze at this gorgeous bridge every time I pass. The version of the devil story I heard had a dog crossing the bridge.
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Ah, the stuff of legends. There’s a Devil’s Bridge in Wales with a similar legend where he ends up with a dog. I wonder what he does with all these animals?
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