File 037 · Gravina in Puglia, Italy

Gravina Bridge

A pilgrims' bridge turned aqueduct, 37 metres above a ravine. Bond jumped off it.

Why go

A two-tier stone aqueduct-bridge 37 m above a limestone ravine, rebuilt in the 1700s to carry spring water into town and lead pilgrims to the rock church of the Madonna della Stella.

The place

Pilgrims first

A bridge stood here by 1686 so the faithful could cross the ravine to the rock church of the Madonna della Stella. Earthquakes in 1686 and 1722 brought it down.

Water for the town

The Orsini family, the Roman nobles who held Gravina, had it rebuilt as an aqueduct between 1743 and 1778, carrying spring water about 3.5 km to a fountain at the bridge's end.

A town built on the edge

Old Gravina is carved into the cliff of the ravine, with cave churches and dwellings below the cathedral. The bridge reopened with new lighting in 2024 after restoration.

The shoot: No Time to Die (2021)

Bond leaps from the bridge as the chase out of Matera begins.

The leap

In No Time to Die (2021), Bond jumps from the bridge as the chase out of Matera begins. On screen it stands in as Matera's own bridge; it is actually here, about 45 minutes away.

August 2019

A stunt double made the jump of about 150 feet in late August 2019, filmed from a helicopter hovering above the ravine.

Dressing the bridge

The crew lined the old stone with steel sheets to protect it and added fake electric cables for the leap. The cemetery nearby was a set built for the film.

Stand here

Walk onto the bridge from the town side, then cross to the Madonna della Stella church and look back along the arches to the old town on the cliff.

40.8189, 16.4206

Visit

Best: Late afternoon, when the stone glows. The bridge is lit after dark. Access: Free and open to walk. Getting there: 45 min by car from Matera, or about 1 h from Bari airport. Pair it with Matera in one trip.

Taste: Pallone di Gravina, the town's DOP aged cheese, and a glass of Gravina DOC white.