Reconstructing bridges. A cultural operation

Building bridges has always been one of the most inspiring technological and engineering challenges for the constructors of our cities, but its role in connecting physically divided places has immediately become a metaphor for the building of deep relationships between different contexts or even cultures. Over the centuries, the opportunity to deny the passage to enemy troops has made the destruction of this element a “privileged” instrument of war, but the ability in creating a cultural caesura in communities has significantly increased its power. Therefore, the destruction of a bridge, especially if deliberate, does not represent a mere break, but it can be regarded as an inner wound that needs to be healed. It can turn out to be a symbol of rebirth, a strong possibility to re-establish the thread of continuity between different peoples and, broadly speaking, also between the past and the future.