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Youths read messages on locks attached to a lamp post on Rome's Ponte Milvio Bridge, on Valentine's Day, Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2007 ALESSANDRA TARANTINO/AP/Press Association Images

'Love locks' removed from Rome's Ponte Milvio bridge

The ‘love padlocks’, which are placed there by couples, were also taken off the Ha’penny Bridge in January of this year.

LOVE LOCKS TIED to a bridge in Rome by young couples are to be removed because their combined weight is causing problems.

Lovers have tied the padlocks to the bridge and thrown away the key since late 2006, inspired by characters in the book I Want You by Italian author Federico Moccia.

However, Rome isn’t the only place it happens – love locks have been affixed to structures around Europe and Asia, including our own Ha’Penny Bridge and Millennium Bridge in Dublin.

But these latter locks didn’t last long, as the council removed them in January, and asked people not to do it again.

Some couples might not have gotten the hint though – the photo below was taken in May:

(Sam Boal/Photocall Ireland)

The BBC reports that authorities have begun to remove the locks from the Ponte Milvio with bolt-cutters as rust from the locks is damaging the bridge.

The bridge spans part of the Tiber and was first built in 206 BC, being renovated a number of times and then repaired in 1429.

In 2007, the lamppost on the bridge where the padlocks had initially been placed partially collapsed, as the Daily Mail reports – but that didn’t stop the star-crossed couples, who simply went on to put the love locks elsewhere on the structure.

Here’s an Italian video that shows some of the locks on Ponte Milvio in 2008.

(romakult/Youtube)

Read:Where’s the love? Council removes ‘love padlocks’ from Dublin’s Ha’penny Bridge>

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    Mute Temp Stuff
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    Mar 25th 2025, 12:42 PM

    Just change his name to Brian Adriscoll and sorted!

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    Mute Luas Vuitton - Penneys Drag Queen
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    Mar 25th 2025, 1:36 PM

    @Temp Stuff: is he the one married to Amy Youtuberman?

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    Mute David O Brien
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    Mar 25th 2025, 12:48 PM

    Looks very angry in that picture

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    Mute Jonathan Sheridan
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    Mar 25th 2025, 12:52 PM

    @David O Brien: Not exactly the crime of the century but the picture is a great choice.

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    Mute p gert
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    Mar 25th 2025, 3:44 PM

    @David O Brien: Just smelt one.

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    Mute David O Brien
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    Mar 25th 2025, 4:13 PM

    @p gert: Ha ha, that could be it.

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    Mute Susan Walsh
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    Mar 25th 2025, 2:19 PM

    Hold on Caroline O’Mahony isn’t allowed to promote her own business on her own page? What? I mean I’m all for labelling ads on social media by individuals but surely if the individual is promoting their own business that’s named after them, it’s really obvious? Does that mean that someone couldn’t promote their own podcast or book for example on their own page without the hashtag?

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    Mute Luas Vuitton - Penneys Drag Queen
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    Mar 25th 2025, 1:31 PM

    Add #ad is the requirement? Lets not worry about the actual BS they promote.

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    Mute ben wu
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    Mar 25th 2025, 1:52 PM

    @Luas Vuitton – Penneys Drag Queen: The bare minimum should be to label paid sponsor spots as being *paid*.
    That a lot of them have zero morals beyond how much they can milk off the audience, saddens me.

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    Mute larry smith
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    Mar 25th 2025, 1:24 PM

    C.O.D

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    Mute p gert
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    Mar 25th 2025, 3:43 PM

    Bodacious.

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