From the Roman Minturnae up to the 19th century, the intersection point between the waterway (the Liris river, then Garigliano) and the land route (the Appian Way) represented a fundamental link between territories, peoples and states, whose crossing posed complex technological challenges over time.
The first known bridge is the one built by the Romans on the original route of the Appian Way, just a few dozens metres from here, towards the mouth.
After the interruption of the Regina Viarum and the diversion of its route (6th-8th centuries AD), the connection between the two banks was entrusted to a river barge, called the “scafa”.
For almost a thousand years the passage took place like this, protected towards the sea by the Pandolfo Capodiferro tower and right here by the Turris Gareliani, later integrated into the Bastia [fortification] and demolished with the latter in 1828 to make room for the new bridge.
In fact, in the Bourbon period the need for a more stable and functional passage had become urgent. After some temporary solutions, including the construction of the pontoon bridge in 1779 on the occasion of Archduke Ferdinand of Habsburg’s trip to Naples, a long phase of study and design began which would culminate with the construction of Luigi Giura’s bridge.