Attractions and Places To See around Bettola - Top 20

Hunchback Bridge or Devil's Bridge In the Middle Ages, the construction of a bridge was considered a miraculous feat. For this reason, the construction of such structures gave rise to many legends, often involving the devil: joining two places that God had wanted separated was seen by many as a "diabolical" work. According to an ancient legend, Saint Columbanus, a 7th-century Irish monk, was eager to bring the word of God to the people living on the other bank of the Trebbia River, near the town of Bobbio. The devil promised to build the bridge in a single night, in exchange for the first mortal soul to cross it. The saint accepted. That night, the devil summoned several little devils who assisted him in the construction work, holding up the bridge's arches. The demons were of different heights, and thus the various arches of the bridge were of varying sizes. In the morning, the devil stationed himself at the end of the bridge to demand his payment. But Saint Columbanus outwitted him by having his poor, suffering and very sick dog (some say it was a bear) cross the bridge instead of a man. The enraged devil returned to hell, but not before kicking his handiwork, which has been crooked ever since. It is said that the footprints of the unfortunate animal that served as a guinea pig still remain in the crypt of the Church of Saint Columbanus. The Hunchback Bridge, also known as the Ponte Vecchio or, more precisely, the Devil's Bridge, is a Roman structure that has undergone numerous renovations over the centuries. The structure above dates back to the 7th century, but traces of an older bridge, dating back to before Columbanus' arrival, have been found underneath. The bridge, characterized by its undulating shape, irregular arches, and relatively narrow carriageway, is 280 meters long and connects the two banks of the river through a complicated succession of 11 irregular spans, varying in span and height, creating an undulating path from one end to the other. The Bobbio Bridge, now used only as a pedestrian crossing, is the very symbol of the city of San Colombano, as well as one of the strangest and most original architectural structures in Italy. Source: Emilia-Romagna Region

enchanting place on a splendid panorama, there are on the crest of the rock some tanks with newts, unique animals

very nice church with a nice bar restaurant next to it that offers many good things to eat, home cooking, from sandwiches to first courses with good prices

I arrive in Bobbio from a less busy road and with a beautiful view of Ponte

The oratory is beautiful

Cute

Saint Lawrence / "San LORENZO", to whom this church is dedicated, is one of the early Christian martyrs from a time when Christianity was still forbidden. He was the Pope's archdeacon and was asked by the pagan Emperor Valerian to hand over the church's treasure. Lawrence asked for three days, during which he distributed the church's assets among the poor inhabitants of Rome and, after the agreed time, came to the emperor with the poor to present them to him as the church's treasure. He was then tortured to death; legend has it that he was roasted alive on a grate - this attribute can be seen in many depictions of Saint Lawrence - over coals. This scene is also depicted above the entrance portal of the church. He is said to have been in good spirits and to have asked his executioner if he would like to turn him over. The feast day of San Lorenzo/Saint Laurentius in the calendar of saints is August 10th, and it is certainly no coincidence that the consecration of the church took place on this very day in A.D. 1672.

The Mill of Riè is a characteristic rural architecture, testimony to the ancient local economic activities. In fact, in the past there were numerous mills along this river, driven by the flow of specially channeled water. The Riè mill along the Perino stream is made up of two distinct blocks. The upstream part was the old mill, dating back to before the 19th century. The downstream structure dates back to the 19th century. The rooms of the plant differed based on their position and use: in the lower part there were the machinery for grinding the grain, while the upper part was used as accommodation for the miller. Today only the machinery of the most recent mill remains of the grinding system. The two stone grinders, the pin, the external wheel and the water drainage channel have been preserved. Furthermore, the pin of the oldest wheel and the seat of the wheel's water tank are visible. The historical, architectural and productive relevance of the plant has recently been recognized. In 2009 the Riè Mill was the subject of a conservative restoration intervention, which affected the stone slab roof covering and the external wheel.