Rome is set to celebrate the 2764th anniversary of its founding on Thursday with the inauguration of a new bridge across the River Tiber. The structure has been called the Ponte della Musica, ‘Bridge of Music', as it will link the area of Renzo Piano's trendy Parco della Musica Auditorium to the Foro Italico sports complex.
The Foro Italico includes the Stadio Olimpico, home to Serie A sides Lazio and AS Roma, and the tennis courts used for the Rome Masters tournament every spring.
As well as the Auditorium, the area on the other side of the Tiber is also home to the capital's new 20th-century art museum, MAXXI, and the Stadio Flaminio, where the Italian national rugby team play their home Six Nations matches.
The eye-catching structure, which is 18 metres wide and 190 metres long, is held up by two steel arches. The bridge was initially conceived as being only for pedestrians and cyclists but the design was subsequently modified so it can accommodate trams and other vehicles.
The Italian capital celebrates its foundation, which according to legend took place in 753 BC thanks to Romulus and Remus, on April 21.
Graham Spicer is a writer, director and photographer in Milan, blogging (under the name ‘Gramilano') about dance, opera, music and photography for people “who are a bit like me and like some of the things I like”. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy.
His scribblings have appeared in various publications from Woman's Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the ‘Danza in Italia' column for Dancing Times magazine.
