The Ponte Milvio was built over the Tiber River in Rome in the year 206 B.C. and instantly became a romantic icon. It drew fame because of its famous for its nocturnal attraction. In fact, it is said that Emperor Nero visited the famous bridge to conduct his famous debaucheries.
Author Federico Moccia wrote a love the story between two young Romans entitled I Want You. In the story, the hero tells the girl he is enamored with about a legend where the lovers wrap a lock and chain with their names on it around the third lamppost on the Ponte Milvio Bridge’s northern side. The lovers then locked it and threw the key into the river to ensure their eternal love.
Moccia's story became popular and soon, young couples came to the bridge to padlocks with their names on it on a lamppost on the bridge and throwing the key into the river.
Soon, thousands of locks and chains appeared on the bridge’s lampposts. The lampposts had partially collapsed because of the weight of all the padlocks and officials condemned the practice in order to preserve the ancient bridge. This incited some public backlask and officials installed new posts on the bridges specifically for couples to safely hang their padlocks for all to see.
If Rome is too far for you to travel to lock your own lover's padlocks to, you can add a virtual lock of your own to Ponte Milvia by visiting: http://www.lucchettipontemilvio.com/
2 comments:
Love the story. Romantic, but a little weird since Nero did his "private" stuff there. Nice blog.
Somehow my parents missed pointing this out on our family trip to Rome as teenagers/preteens. Gee I wonder why? I'll have to look carefully at photos of my parents as young lovers in Rome and see if I can find this location.
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