Bridge over the Aveto Stream (Alpepiana)
On the Cifalco Road, Between River and Mountain
At the foot of Alpepiana, the bridge spanning the Aveto River stands along an ancient trade route known as the “Cifalco Road,” named after Monte Gifarco, on the watershed between the Aveto and Trebbia rivers. As early as 1593, records note the frequent passage of merchants from Lucca and Florence traveling to and from France, marking the route as a strategic artery that connected the Ligurian Apennines to major European markets, with caravans loaded with goods and travelers journeying toward new opportunities.
The Prince’s Bridge and the Vision of Andrea IV Doria
At the site of the former ford known as Passo del Principe, the bridge was built in 1788 at the expense and initiative of Andrea IV Doria Pamphilj Landi, the last feudal lord of Santo Stefano and the Aveto Valley before the Napoleonic wars. The original structure, grand and harmonious, consisted of four arches, a tangible symbol of power materialized in infrastructure and territorial control.
Collapse and Rebirth Amid the Aveto’s Floods
In 1795, a violent flood swept away the bridge, causing its collapse; yet its strategic importance demanded prompt reconstruction along the same alignment, this time with three arches, until its reopening in 1832, restoring an essential connection for people, goods, and communication across the valley.
The St. Andrew Shrine: Faith and Memory in Marble
At the center of the bridge stands a sacred shrine with a marble plaque depicting Saint Andrew, accompanied by a Latin inscription that intertwines devotion and commemoration of the patron: “Condidit Andreas / Andreas protegit alter / Nisibus iste polo / Sumptibus ille solo,” meaning “One Andrea built me, another Andrea protects me: this one with heavenly benevolence, that one with earthly wealth,” a refined tribute that unites the Saint and the Prince in a single narrative of protection, power, and memory.
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