Devil’s Bridge

Site overview

Its construction was decided in 1378 by Amadeus VI of Savoy, the Green Count, together with the castellan Aresmino Provana and the Credenza of Lanzo, to guarantee a connection with Turin that was secure and free from the influence of the rival branch of the Savoy-Achaea, who controlled the left bank of the Stura torrent towards the plain. The bridge rises with a single imperfect Gothic arch, for a length of 65 meters and a height of 15 meters above the water level, with a single span of about 37 meters in a humpback shape (a schiena d’asino), over a narrow gorge, crossed by the torrent, which separates Mount Basso from Mount Buriasco. On the bridge, a gate was built in 1564, which was closed in case of epidemics, such as the plague, to prevent contagion by foreigners. The boldness of the construction, the inaccessible location, and the presence of geological phenomena such as the “giant’s kettles” (marmitte dei giganti) have stimulated popular imagination over time and created a legend that attributes its authorship to the Devil. According to the story, the inhabitants of Lanzo, unable to build the bridge, allegedly entrusted the undertaking to the evil one, also accepting the cost: delivering to Hell the first soul that crossed it. However, once the work was done, with the help of a saint, the people of Lanzo managed to mock the Devil by having a dog cross the bridge. The diabolical fury could only vent itself on a stone of the pavement, where the mark of a large goat-like footprint can still be seen today. For this reason, the Ponte del Ròch is known to everyone as the Devil’s Bridge.