It was situated at the end of via Aurelia – an ancient road in the past leading to a nearby port on the Tiber. At the same time it connected left-bank Rome to the Trastevere. Initially it was called Pons Aemilius (in Italian Ponte Emilio) and came from the surname of one of the then censors (high-ranking officials) – a consul and leader of the Senate, Aemilius Lepidus, a representative of the Aemilia – one of the greatest Roman families from the times of the Republic. It was created in the year 172 in Rome, as the first fully stone bridge set on six pillars.

Its modernization took place in the I century of our era during the reign of Emperor Octavius Augustus. It was then that its name was changed to Pons Maximus – since at that time it was the largest bridge on the Tiber.

In latter, modern times it was frequently threatened by the Tiber and restored by subsequent popes. It suffered greatly during the flood of 1557, but was renovated with diligence and finesse by Pope Gregory XIII, which is confirmed and commemorated by a still visible inscription on the span and the elements of the coat of arms of the Boncompagni family. However, subsequent floods in the seventies and nineties of the XVI century caused the bridge to break down and lose its functions. The catastrophic flood at the end of 1598 destroyed three of its spans, which resulted in the bridge only being reachable from the left side of the bank, for over two centuries picturesquely becoming part of the city landscape. It was not until the pontificate of Pope Pius IX, who in the middle of the XIX century decided to connect its remains with the Trastevere by building a steel structure. Unfortunately this idea brought about the ultimate ruin of the bridge. The stone construction could not support such a load. In 1885 further damages occurred – and as a result only a single span remained. It was decided to not reconstruct it – next to it another bridge was built, the Ponte Palatino. It is from here that we can get the best view of these proud remains of ancient Rome, which have since taken on a new name of Ponte Rotto, meaning damaged bridge.