Once upon a time, on one of Rome’s oldest bridges, Ponte Mulvius, valiant soldiers fought fiercely to their death for the love of their emperor, their religion, their country. Nowadays, hopeful young lovers lay down their hearts and pledge their undying devotion to each other on this very same bridge.

Ponte Milvio – also affectionately known as Ponte Mollo (soaked bridge) – has played a crucial role in Rome’s history as the ancient consular roads of Flaminia, Cassia, Clodia and Veientana all led to it. Ponte Milvio is one of only three bridges still existent in the city which dates back to the Roman empire. It was the scene of many decisive battles, such as that between Constantine (the first Christian emperor) and Maxentius in 312 AD. Giuseppe Garibaldi blew up part of Ponte Milvio while attempting to hold back the advance of the French in 1849; Pope Pius IX had it lovingly restored to its former glory the following year.

Today, the bridge has become an important symbol for modern-day Romeos and Juliets living in Rome, who make their pilgrimage to Ponte Milvio and seal their love by placing a lock on the third lamp post from the Corso Francia side and throwing the key into the Tiber (the key should be thrown over the shoulders so as not to see where it falls), in a modern-day spell invoking eternal love.

This lamp post is certainly attention-grabbing. It is decorated with hundreds upon hundreds of locks, featuring the names and initials of the sweethearts. In the sunlight, these locks are an impressive sight; they shine like layers of tinsel on an over-decorated Christmas tree. You can’t help but wonder how many keys must be lying in the Tiber’s watery depths, guarding the secrets of so many lovers. The original lamp post is now so full that locks have begun appearing on other ones. This bridge is remembered in Romanesco songs and poetry as a meeting place for lovers and it continues to live up to its reputation.

The myth of the “love locks” all started with a very romantic book written by Federico Moccia (published in 1992) entitled Tre metri sopra il cielo (Three metres above the sky). Moccia was born in Rome in 1963, the son of a film scriptwriter. Initially he had trouble finding someone to accept his novel, so in the end he had it published privately, printing a limited number of copies. Moccia’s book had such an impact among Rome’s youth (particularly the 12-20 age group) that, being short of copies, they began to photocopy it. In 2004, Feltrinelli seized the opportunity to publish a new edition and the book has since sold over 800,000 copies across Europe, Japan and Brazil.

The story is about two teenagers from very different backgrounds, Babi and Step, who despite all odds fall in love with each other. The two protagonists were the first to perform the ritual of placing a lock on the now-famous third lamp post and throwing the key into the Tiber.

The book was made into a movie in 2004 and enjoyed a huge success. An urban legend was born. Although it is predominantly Italian teenagers who follow this romantic creed, the strong symbolism of eternal love on such a historic bridge in Rome has attracted some mature lovers from foreign lands as well. “A 60-year-old couple from Australia came and placed a lock too,” grins a local pub owner.

Sadly, there are some broken-hearted lovers who haunt the old bridge. A man at a local hardware store – who does a thriving business selling locks to the many lovesick couples that flock to this area – recounts: “This poor guy came in here one day. His girlfriend had left him and he wanted to break the lock. The first pair of pliers didn’t work, so he walked up and down several times, trying different things.” He laughs. “He was determined to break that lock! It took him a while but in the end he succeeded.”

Among its many suitors, Ponte Milvio can now also boast the attentions of the Rome city council, which is holding a Valentine’s day competition and has aptly decided to centre it around Ponte Milvio. Simply send an unashamedly romantic sms or e-mail and “the fairest of all” messages will win a shining gold lock to attach to the lamp post (see box for details).

The city council is also trying to determine how best to retain the tradition of the locks without compromising the “decorum” of one of Rome’s most ancient bridges. In Florence, a similar trend of attaching locks on a small gate which surrounds a monument by Cellini on Ponte Vecchio and throwing the keys into the Arno river did not go down well with the local mayor, who had the gate pulled down because the locks were, in his words, “too rusty, too many and they spoilt the view”. He should have known better than to stand in the way of true love – lovers are stubborn creatures – and they immediately began placing new locks on the bridge. In 2006 the Florence city council started fining €50 for attaching a lock anywhere on Ponte Vecchio. Some “love locks” have also been spotted on Turin’s Vittorio bridge but few locations have reached the fame (and number of locks) of Rome’s Ponte Milvio.

Popular singer-songwriter Tiziano Ferro filmed a music video on this timeless bridge, released in January. Ferro rose to fame in 2001 and has achieved success not only among teenage audiences throughout Europe but worldwide too, especially in Latin American countries.

Moccia wrote a sequel to his best-selling book entitled Ho voglia di te, which was published last year, and the film version is due to be released in March 2007. Parts of the film were shot on Ponte Milvio and thus the much-discussed lamp post will be on screen soon at a cinema near you.

Moccia writes, “For you who dream, then for you this chain of love really does exist.” Many hundreds of lovers do indeed dream and believe in love. They continue to flock to Ponte Milvio daily and perform the ritual in the hope that, like in the fairytales, they will live happily ever after.

Premio S. Valentino a Ponte Milvio

The city council’s Premio S. Valentino a Ponte Milvio competition: Send an original romantic text message to 3935702968 or send it by e-mail to: maildamore@gmail.com or maildamore@yahoo.it. Messages must be no longer than 180 characters.

Competition closes at 24.00 on 9 February 2007. The winner will receive a gold lock and Tiziano Ferro concert tickets. There will also be nine runner-up prizes.

Directions to Ponte Milvio: tram no. 2 from Piazzale Flaminio (Metro A); get off at the bus terminal in Piazza Mancini. From there you can reach Ponte Milvio on foot, by turning right on Lungotevere Thaon de Revel.

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