Man learns the best possible stuff in the lap of nature and it is there that he finds true peace with himself and the world around him. For centuries now nature has inspired man to achieve, to imagine, to explore and to fall in love with its effervescent splendor. Its million shades never seem to repeat themselves with each sunset bringing a new hue and its beautiful tunes inspire emotions that seem long lost in modern mayhem. Nature has a way of heeling, touching and inspiring which has been felt from men like Newton to romantics like Wordsworth. In simple terms, it has something for everyone and you only need to look with the right eye.

Built around 1100AD, the Devil’s Bridge is also known as the Ponte della Maddalena, named after a statue of Mary Magdalene that once stood at the foot of the bridge; the figurine is now housed in the local parish. (Mary Magdalene is another story altogether though). The bridge is located in a serene and tranquil location and its beauty is awe-inspiring indeed. Ne could just sit on it for hours and not know the time. But the tale behind the bridge is not very encouraging if you want to take a walk in the night on it.

A Tuscan legend has it that during the construction of the Ponte del Diavolo, near Borgo a Mozzano, the sole stonemason building it was having a terrible time. The builder made a deal with the Devil (apparently) that he would give the soul of the first person who crossed the bridge if he helped him in completing it. But the wise builder sent a pig across the bridge first to make sure no one lost their soul to the devil. The cheated devil apparently lies beneath this bridge till today!

Apart from being a great story for a movie and having a wonderful twist of how the Devil was cheated for a change, the bridge is an absolute beauty with surely many stories around it and we have not even got to Mary Magdalene yet! That is for a different day though…

Via EnvironmentalGraffiti