Roman bridge over the Rubicon

In 49 BC the Rubicon marked the border between Cisalpine Gaul and Italy governed by Rome. Julius Caesar, crossing it in arms with the 13th Legion, defied the Senate and started the civil war: this is the moment of the famous 'alea iacta est', the die is cast. Even today 'crossing the Rubicon' means making a decision with no turning back.

The bridge at Savignano came later: it was built in the Augustan age, in the 1st century AD, along the Via Emilia, with three arches of Istrian stone blocks. In 1944 the retreating Germans blew it up; after the war it was rebuilt using the original stones recovered from the riverbed.

Which river really was Caesar's Rubicon has been debated by many: there were several candidates. In 1933 the Fiumicino at Savignano was officially recognised as the Rubicon and the town added the river to its name. In the archaeological museum of Compito, just outside, you can see finds from the Roman city that stood here.

The bridge is right in the centre, always accessible and free. Stop to read the plaque commemorating Caesar and then take a stroll along the river: in Savignano at the end of summer the photography festival SI FEST brings exhibitions throughout the town.