When asked what is the oldest bridge in Rome, you usually answer the following question mentioning the Milvio Bridge or the Sublicio bridge. Wrong answers!
The Milvio Bridge and the Sublicio Bridge were originally built in wood and rebuilt several times, in whole or in part.
The oldest bridge is the Fabricio bridge, which is one of the two bridges that connects the city with the Tiber Island and exists and has been intact for more than 2000 years.
It can, therefore, be well said that among the bridges that have remained in their original structure, it is the oldest in Rome (and perhaps in the world). The Fabricio bridge owes its name to Lucio Fabricio, the Roman curator of the streets, whose name still stands on one of the arches.
For the Romans, the Fabricio bridge is also known as the "four chief bridge", and this because of a legend: It is said that at the end of 1500, when Sixtus V decided to restore the Fabricio bridge, assigned this task to four architects. During the period necessary to carry out their duties, they showed great scandal because of their ongoing futile quarrels for futile reasons and the perennial discord that animated them. But Sixtus V, in terms of punishments, we know that he really had the heavy hand.
He patiently waited for the restoration work to be completed, and then captured the four architects and had them executed there, on the same bridge that they had been busy restoring.
According to the legend, Sixtus V had two sculptures placed on the Fabricio bridge, representing the faces of the four architects - sculptures that are still visible today.
Each of the 4 heads turned disdainfully back to the others, despite being part of a single statue: and so those architects who have been in discord in life, are now condemned for eternity to share the same space.