Arco dei Farnesi - Atlas Obscura
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Arco dei Farnesi

Rome, Italy

This unassuming bridge is most likely one of Michelangelo's unfinished masterworks. 

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Michelangelo never completed this masterpiece. Lord Aitken (Atlas Obscura User)
Michelangelo never completed this masterpiece. Lord Aitken (Atlas Obscura User)
Rome is littered with incredible architecture. Lord Aitken (Atlas Obscura User)
Michelangelo himself is behind this bridge. Lord Aitken (Atlas Obscura User)
The bridge has a surprising history behind it. Lord Aitken (Atlas Obscura User)
Greenery dangles from the bridge. Lord Aitken (Atlas Obscura User)
This unassuming bridge has a rather lofty historical connection. Lord Aitken (Atlas Obscura User)
The Arco dei Farnesi was commissioned by Pope Paul III. Lord Aitken (Atlas Obscura User)
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Over the Via Giulia in Rome lies the Arco dei Farnesi (The Farnese Arch). This arch was originally part of a design by Michelangelo, commissioned by Pope Paul III, to create a bridge that connected Palazzo Farnese with the Villa Farnesina in Trastevere over the Tiber River.

This would have been a private bridge reserved for the Farnese Family, which Pope Paul III was a member. Unfortunately, after Michelangelo’s death, the bridge was never completed. Today this magnificent arch covered in vines along the Via Giulia can be viewed while on a stroll through the streets of Rome. 

Know Before You Go

The bridge is one of Rome's many free public landmarks.

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