Salerno, attempted sale of medieval blocks stolen from Devil's Bridges

The Superintendence of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the provinces of Salerno and Avellino has initiated urgent checks after reports of a vandalism incident allegedly involvingSalerno’s Medieval Aqueduct, popularly known as Devil’s Bridges. According to what emerged thanks to the report of a private citizen, later picked up by some local press organs, some stone blocks taken from the monument were allegedly the object of an attempt to sell them.

The ancient aqueduct represents one of the most recognizable symbols of the city of Salerno and is now embedded in the urban center. The structure, dating back to the Middle Ages, had the function of redistributing water to the monastic structures located in the western part of the city. In addition to its architectural and functional value, the artifact retains a strong historical and symbolic value: according to tradition, the four founders of the Salerno Medical School, one of the most relevant institutes in the history of European medicine, would have met there.

Following the news, the Superintendence took action to ascertain the condition of the property and verify the actual extent of the damage. In collaboration with the Municipality of Salerno, urgent technical inspections have been scheduled aimed at checking the state of conservation of the aqueduct, identifying any critical conservation issues and verifying the presence of detachments of stone material.

The monument is already part of an institutional collaboration involving the City of Salerno, the Superintendency itself and the University of Salerno. The shared objective concerns the conservation, maintenance and enhancement of the monumental complex, through coordinated work that can ensure targeted interventions and more effective planning of future protection operations. The outcomes of this synergy are in fact an important operational basis for subsequent conservation interventions as well.

The Medieval Aqueduct has also been the recipient of liberal donations through an Art Bonus project aimed at the conservative restoration of the structure. The project aims to counteract the phenomena of degradation and alterations accumulated over time, due to multiple environmental and structural factors that have caused, in several places, detachment and deterioration of the stone material. The reported incident brings attention back to the issue of cultural heritage protection and the vulnerability of historical assets embedded in the daily urban fabric. The Superintendency recalls that theft and damage to cultural property constitute serious crimes, punishable by law, and stresses the importance of citizens’ cooperation in safeguarding the common heritage.

Salerno, attempted sale of medieval blocks stolen from Devil's Bridges

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