Ferriere Suspension Bridge

In the heart of the Pistoia Mountains, a very long footbridge connects two lush slopes divided by the Lima stream, the Ferriere Suspension Bridge. It spans 36 meters above the river, connecting Mammiano Basso and Popiglio, two typical small mountain villages in the municipality of San Marcello Piteglio, with its 227 meters in length. Until 2006, it held the title of World’s Longest Suspension Footbridge, later surpassed by Japan’s Kokonoe Yume Suspension Bridge with its length of 1280 feet (390 meters).

It was built on the idea of engineer of Piacenza-Scottish noble origins Vincenzo Douglas Scotti. The purpose was to speed up the time taken by workers in Popiglio to reach the steelworks on the other side, hence the name.

Built in about 2 years using advanced engineering techniques and inaugurated in 1923, the bridge was built with structures resting on four steel cables which are kept in tension with no intermediate support. The bridge has undergone major maintenance and consolidation works over the years.

As of today it represents an exciting outdoor opportunity to experience the beautiful Mountains around Pistoia and enjoy its landscapes from an unprecedented vantage point, with the thrilling feeling of being "suspended in the void”.