Grand Arvou Bridge, Porossan, Italy

The Bridge of Gran Arvou spans the Rû Prévôt irrigation canal, and includes a large corridor covered by flagstones.

The Grand Arvou is an arch bridge, with a span of 68.5 m and an elevation of 13,60 m between the arch's top and the ground; the distance between the roof and the base of the arch is 10,5 m. The bridge is built in mortar and small incoherent stones, with partial plastering. The plan is irregular, with a general trapezoidal shape, but without the main parallel side; the walls's thickness varies from 50 to 55 cm. The roof is covered by flagstones, which helped it resist to the centuries.

In the late 13th-early 14th century, there was a series of programs aiming to improve the irrigation level in Aosta Valley, due to increased demand of animal husbandry. One of this was the construction of canal, the Rû Prévôt, by will of Henry of Quart, provost (hence the name) of the Aosta Cathedral. This included also the couple of bridge-aqueducts which are now visible.

The income of the canal exploitation was later acquired by the Dukes (later Kings) of Savoy. In the 20th century, the canal was mostly channeled into pipes.

References:

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Miscellaneous historic sites in Italy

User Reviews

Marta (2 years ago)
Very suggestive, well preserved... the walk to reach it is pleasant and undemanding

Mauro Nascarella (3 years ago)
Well preserved medieval bridge. Too bad you can't go along it, the visit would have been more suggestive. If you park in the right spot, you can walk there in less than 5 minutes. If you enter Corsica as a food reference, immediately after there is a street on the left with a small free car park. Already from the parking lot you can admire the bridge. Leaving the car park, return to the main uphill road, pass the hairpin bend to the right and before the next hairpin bend to the left, take a dirt road on the left. At that point you continue straight and you arrive at your destination in a couple of minutes

Brenda Castro (3 years ago)
Very nice site, not very touristy. You arrive by bus 6, get off and go to the entrance from the path, it is located to the right of the aqueduct, it is not signposted.

Francesco Sinacori (3 years ago)
Beautiful architecture, a pity that the locals do not look kindly on those who go to visit it, I say this because at the beginning of the road that crosses a small group of houses, they have placed a sign with the inscription, private property forbidden to access. But the path passes right by that road.

Simo B (3 years ago)
Place badly marked with google ... we could not park to find the path ... the municipality did not even put the signs

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