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.
|