Il Ponte della Catene, or the Chains Bridge, spans the Lima River in Tuscany, connecting the towns of Fomoli and Chifenti. In the 19th century, royal architect Lorenzo Nottolini (1787-1851) designed this footbridge at the behest of Duke Carlo Ludovico, who sought to provide an appropriate avenue of approach to Bagni di Lucca’s treasured thermal baths. (...)
Il Ponte della Catene, or the Chains Bridge, spans the Lima River in Tuscany, connecting the towns of Fomoli and Chifenti. In the 19th century, royal architect Lorenzo Nottolini (1787-1851) designed this footbridge at the behest of Duke Carlo Ludovico, who sought to provide an appropriate avenue of approach to Bagni di Lucca’s treasured thermal baths. Nottolini, who had traveled to England and Germany to study new construction techniques, created a suspension bridge with a wooden platform and two carved sandstone arches strung through with iron chains. Because Nottolini died and the Duchy of Lucca changed hands during construction, another local architect, Bettino Ricasoli, completed the project in the employment of the Duke of Tuscany. During World War II, bombs damaged the metal links and wood base of the Chains Bridge, necessitating repairs that were carried out in 1953. Despite these corrective efforts, the bridge was nearing collapse at the end of the 20th century because of material deterioration and vibrations from nearby construction.
