In architecture, a semicircular arch is an arch with an intrados (inner surface) shaped like a semicircle. This type of arch was adopted and very widely used by the Romans, thus becoming permanently associated with Roman architecture.
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Semi-circular arch in the context of Ponte Salario
The Ponte Salario, also called Ponte Salaro during the Middle Ages, is a road bridge in Rome, Italy, whose origins date back to the Roman period. In antiquity, it lay outside the city limits, 3 km north of the Porta Collina, at the point where the Via Salaria (modern SS4) crossed the Aniene, a tributary of the Tiber. The visible side arches are assumed to originate from the first stone structure built during the 1st century BC.
In the Gothic War (535–554), the main arch was largely destroyed by the Ostrogothic king Totila, but repaired by his East Roman opponent Narses in 565, who recorded the extensive restoration works, including a river diversion, in an extant bridge inscription. At that time, the Ponte Salario was 72 m long and 6.52 m wide, with its semi-circular arch reaching a remarkable clear span of 24.86 m.