Il ponte del diavoloWhy is it called a devil's bridge? (answer to inkscar's question) 
The inhabitants of the nearby village once decided to build a bridge to cross the river without any difficulties. They started building but no bridge was strong enough to withstand the strong current of the river. So every time they constructed a bridge, the river swelled and the current washed away the still fragile construction that men just build.
The citizens who didn't know anymore what to do came to the city hall to ask their mayor. The mayor in his despair decided o ask the devil for aid. So he asked: "Devil, can you construct a bridge for me that will not be washed away by the current and that will stand in the riversand for all times?" 
The devil answered to him: "Yes I can indeed construct such a bridge, but in exchange for my efforts I demand the first soul that crosses the bridge."
The mayor did see no alternatives and so he accepted the pact and the devil constructed a bridge so sturdy and solid that even the in the worst storms when the water of the river swell and destroyed everything in his way, the bridge would still stand like a giant rock attached to the riverground. The bridge was ready to be opened the mayor took a piece of bread and threw it onto the bridge. A straying dog that was laying around saw the bread and trying to get it, he ran on the bridge snapped the bread and speeded over to the other side of the river. The first soul had crossed the bridge. The devil, who couldn't use the soul of a straying dog, became furious and vanished in flammes form the bridge. Since then the bridge is called "Ponte del diavolo". This is the legend so far. I wrote this down from my memory. I heard that story first in Italian and translated it from my native German to English. Facts are it is a very old bridge (a inscription in Latin says it was constructed 1428, some historians say it did even exist in Roman times) and the current is indeed a very strong one.
There is a modern bridge now, which you can see on the picture below (view is from the old bridge). I searched for a picture from the devil, but only found one of a lizard, I photographed on the bridge. So maybe he turned to a lizard and is still there :-)  |
One comment
The existance of the devil in myth on equal standing to ..let's say, more benevolent forces, has always fascinated me. A long time ago, in a history book, I read a piece of quoted Persian poem. The poet was asking the devil upon meeting him and seeing a good looking man, why it happens so that all around on murals the devil image is of an ugly being. "It is" the devil says "because the brush is in the hand of my enemy."
Thanks again! :)