Pons Mosae

The Romans built what is perhaps the most important feature in Maastricht’s history: a bridge over the Meuse. A small settlement subsequently sprang up on either side of this, which grew into the city we know today. The statue of Pons Mosae marks the spot where this bridge stood, just south of the Sint Servaasbrug. This Latin name means ‘bridge over the Meuse’.

MemorialThe artwork consists of a tall steel column, crowned by a lion. The lion is a replica of the original Roman statue found in 1963 during works on the ‘ Meuse ’. It probably once formed part of a funerary monument featuring two lions looking down upon their prey and passers-by. Several such fragments of sculpture have been dredged up. The funerary monuments were once reused as fill for Roman bridge piers and thus ended up in the ‘ Meuse ’.

About the creators
The monument was designed in 2005 by the architectural practice of Arno Meijs (1941) on commission from the Maastricht Roman Bridge Foundation. Ceramicist Jo Schoenmakers (1957) created the lion sculpture from vubonite, a weather-resistant ceramic composite.

What’s there to see?
When you leave Pons Mosae behind and continue walking along the Maasboulevard, do cross the Sint Servaasbrug. On the other side of the ‘ Meuse ’, the location of the old Roman bridge is also marked. There you’ll find a bluestone tile bearing a poem by Frans Stoks in Latin:

FOSSVRAE IMPIGRITAS
EFFODIT FRAGMINA PONTIS
ERVTA QVAE TENEBRIS
HIC REDIVIVA NITENT

The tireless digging brought to light
a bridge here, once built by the Romans
Its remains, rescued from the depths of darkness
now stand here, gleaming in renewed light

Fun fact
Curious about the original Roman statue of the lion? It can be seen in the permanent exhibition at the Maastricht Museum. The statue is thought to date from the second century AD.