Paolo Diacono (720-799 AD), in his books Historia Longobardorum, wrote about events that occurred in Cividale del Friuli. He narrate, in 664 AD, a legendary military victory by the Duke Vettari, who defeated the Slavic peoples who came from the north. The detail of the battle, it's seems not very realistic (he said that n.25 Longobards riders were able to defeat n.5000 slavian soldiers) Very precise is the location of the battle, identified by the "Bridge of Broxas". About this place we don't know the actual location; somebody make only hypotheses, linking the name of Broxas to the little villages of Brischis and Brocchiana, near the small town of Pulfero.
This bridge appeared remains a mystery unsolved, until, always Meraldo Monai, was able to find a few clues, so obvious, that perhaps this had to pass unnoticed. Walking on the bridge near Vernasso, and looking towards the south, on the right, in the low water can easily find a large stone with the longitudinal grooves. Following this clue, Meraldo began to search the area in north of the bridge, and he found, about 50 mt. from the existing bridge, the presence of deep carvings in flanks of the river, ideal for supporting a bridge structure. Analyzing the flanks, there were of few vertical perforations, who made in close sequence, allowed the detachment of big boulders of stone.(typical roman technique) Always to the same roman period, are the lead fixings found in the stones, as the presence of cement between the blocks on Vernasso flank. All this confirms unambiguously that the Romans built a stone bridge, to cross the Natisone, in the point where the distance between the two riversides was reduced. The position is consistent with the archaeological finds have taken in S. Pietro, at the nearby church of S. Quirino, where there was a temple dedicated to Diana (goddess of hunting) and where they were found several burials. (See "The Nacle" in this site) I'm little doubtful, for the total absence of traces of the Roman culture in Vernasso. Imagining the Valleys of Natisone at that time, it is plausible to think that a bridge should be an important place for the inhabitants of the time. It's really inexplicable that, while in S. Pietro the Roman tracks are numerous, on the side of Vernasso and throughout the surrounding area, was never found the smallest trace of the Roman age. So I suspect that the bridge was built, but that is not long enough to allow the development of activities in the Vernasso, perhaps because some destroyed by earthquake or by some hostile population. This extraordinary discovery opens a new scenario in the history of S.Pietro, but not definitively resolved the mystery of the battle of Broxas. There is no absolute certainty that can confirm that Paolo Diacono, talking about Broxas place, he were just referring to the bridge just discovered, but may be to a smaller crossing, like a footbridge, also in wooden structure. At the time the ruins of the bridge are all still in the river, scattered in a disorderly, mostly stuck to the bottom and other submerged in the gravel. We are thinking about a possible recovery, at least the most significant pieces, but the operation will be very complicated, for the position and especially for the heavy weight of the elements. I think this great discovery will need a most deepen investigation, also searching for some stone with engravings, which should confirm definitively the exactly date of construction.