Devil's Bridge is a term applied to dozens of ancient bridges, found primarily in Europe. Most of these bridges are stone or masonry arch bridges and represent a significant technological achievement in ancient architecture. Due to their unusual design, they were an object of fascination and stories in antiquity and medieval Europe.
Devil's Bridge (Italian: Ponte del Diavolo) in Lanzo Torinese, northern Italy
Teufelsbrücke of St Gotthard Pass, Switzerland
Rakotzbrücke Devil's Bridge, Saxony, Germany
Little Devil's Bridge (1809) by J. M. W. Turner
A deal with the Devil is a cultural motif exemplified by the legend of Faust and the figure of Mephistopheles, as well as being elemental to many Christian traditions. According to traditional Christian belief about witchcraft, the pact is between a person and the Devil or another demon, trading a soul for diabolical favours, which vary by the tale, but tend to include youth, knowledge, wealth, fame and power.
Engraving of Faust's pact with Mephisto, by Adolf Gnauth (circa 1840)
Copy of a written deal by Christoph Haizmann from 1669.
Urbain Grandier's bogus diabolical pact
Pope Sylvester II and the devil in an illustration of c. 1460.