Monstrous disaster in Italy. Not far from Genoa, a bridge carrying a motorway collapsed. Apparently, this span is about 100 meters long. It crashed right onto the houses. In addition, about 20 cars were on the bridge at the time of the collapse.

A large-scale rescue operation is now unfolding. According to official data cited by the Deputy Minister of Transport of Italy, at least seven people were killed. But local media report that there could be dozens of victims.

It is already known that rescuers managed to pull several survivors out from under the rubble. There is also information that collapsed structures damaged the gas pipeline and a leak began.

Concerning possible reasons disasters. One of the main versions is the subsidence of structures, probably due to prolonged rains. The region is currently under an orange weather alert.

At least 11 people died as a result of the collapse of a road bridge, a representative of the Italian Ministry of Internal Affairs announced this figure on a local TV channel. According to other sources, there are dozens of victims. From a height of a hundred meters, about 20 cars fell directly onto houses. A large-scale rescue operation is now unfolding. As reported by Rostourism, there is no data on injured Russians.

“A monstrous tragedy. Of epochal proportions,” this is the entire reaction of the Italian authorities to what happened in Genoa, and these four words were spoken by two different officials, but they convey the essence of what is happening exhaustively. There is very little information, it will come in, and you still have to comprehend it. Now all that is clear is that it was a nightmare.

On the A10 motorway, a huge span of the Morandi road bridge collapsed; it was named after the Italian engineer Riccardo Morandi, who lived in the last century, famous for his bridge designs. This happened around noon local time (it was one o'clock in the afternoon in Moscow). The bridge no longer has a section at least 100-200 meters long. Traffic, naturally, is blocked - there is simply nothing to go on.

According to emergency doctors, dozens of people became victims of the tragedy; people and cars fell from a hundred-meter height. They also fell on residential buildings located next to the bridge and the parking lot that was under it. According to some sources, there were many cars on the bridge at the time of the collapse; according to others, on the contrary, the traffic was not very intense due to summer holidays and bad weather - it rains all day in Genoa.

Several dozen rescuers are now working at the scene of the tragedy, including dog handlers looking for people under the rubble. Several people have already been pulled out of the mangled cars. Local authorities suggest that the cause of the collapse could have been weakening of the supporting structures. But debriefing will come later; now the main thing is clearing out the rubble. And what is no less serious is further monitoring of the situation: according to the RAI-24 TV channel, the collapse led to damage to gas pipes and a gas leak.

Italian Bridge - single-span metal pedestrian bridge through the Griboyedov Canal (formerly the Ekaterininsky Canal) in the Central District of St. Petersburg. It connects Kazansky and Spassky islands. Type of construction - beam. Material - steel. Total length - 19.66 m. Bridge width - 3 m.

The Italian Bridge is clearly visible from the intersection of Nevsky Prospekt and the Griboyedov Canal. It is located approximately in the middle of the distance between the Cathedral of the Savior on Spilled Blood (Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ) and Nevsky Prospekt. The bridge is a continuation of Italian Street. Upstream is the Novo-Konyushenny Bridge, downstream -.

At the beginning of the 18th century, a palace was built on the left bank of the Fontanka River, modeled on Italian pleasure houses; it was called Italian. It was intended for holding assemblies. The garden, called Italian, with greenhouses and greenhouses, extended to Znamenskaya Street (modern Vosstaniya Street). It was this garden that gave its name to the street that ran along it. At first it was called Sadovaya Italianskaya, then - Malaya Italianskaya. Another street, which went to the right bank of the Fontanka opposite the Italian Palace, received the name Bolshaya Italianskaya. In 1902, Malaya Italianskaya was renamed Zhukovsky Street, Bolshaya Italianskaya became simply Italianskaya. And at the site of the temporary Italian Bridge at that time there was a yawl crossing.

In 1896, a young engineer, graduate of the Institute of Railways L.N. Kolpitsyn proposed building a pedestrian bridge on the site of boat (yalk) transportation. However, the City Council did not support the proposal. But L.N. Kolpitsyn, at his own expense and according to his own design, built a single-span wooden bridge with supports on the granite walls of the canal embankments connecting Bolshaya and Malaya Italianskaya streets.

The span structure consisted of 10 board-and-nail trusses of a braced system; the clear span was 19.7 m. The foundation for the bridge was the embankment wall. The crossing deck was raised 1.4 meters above the embankment level for convenient passage of ships, and stone stairs were built at both ends of the bridge (this layout has been preserved to this day). An innovation for bridge construction at that time was the use of xylolite slabs for paving the bridge deck (xylolite - “wood-stone”, xylolith - an artificial building material consisting of a mixture of sawdust, shavings and plant waste pressed under high pressure with magnesium cement and magnesium chloride oxide ).

The construction of the bridge cost L.N. Kolpitsyn 3,000 rubles. On October 6, 1896, the grand opening of the Italian Bridge took place. The city authorities accepted the bridge, but refused to compensate the young maximalist engineer for the funds spent on construction. L.N. Kolpitsyn wanted to make passage across the bridge a toll and charge passers-by 1 kopeck, but this was also denied to him by the authorities. As a result, the young engineer simply donated the bridge to the city.

In 1902, the bridge was rebuilt according to the design of the architect K. Bald with the replacement of xylolite slabs with boardwalk: 37 mm tongue and groove boards.

In 1911 - 1912, the bridge was rebuilt according to the design of engineer K.V. Efimieva. The new bridge was made of cobblestones, a braced system, and was supported by three-row wooden piles in two mutually perpendicular directions. Its span was reduced to 9.1 m.

In 1937, the bridge was completely rebuilt to lay two heating pipes and electrical networks between its girders. Now the Italian Bridge served as a heat pipeline and a pedestrian bridge at the same time. Judging by a document from 1946, the length of the bridge was 18.4 m, the width between the railings was 2.07 m, the opening of the bridge was 8.5 m; the wrought iron railings had a simple design.

In 1955, due to the emergency condition of the bridge and major repairs of the embankments of the Griboyedov Canal, a new metal single-span bridge was built. The project in the style of Stalinist classicism was developed at the Lengiproinzhproekt Institute by architect V.S. Vasilkovsky and engineer A.D. Gutzeit. It was then that the Italian Bridge acquired its modern appearance.

In 2002, the Italian Bridge was transformed again. Specialists from St. Petersburg "Lensvet" developed and implemented the lighting of the bridge according to an individual project. Now the bridge is illuminated simultaneously by four light sources emanating from spotlights mounted on special stands.

The bridge has a steel beam span structure with a curved outline. The load-bearing elements of the span are two welded main beams with a curved outline of the lower chord. The main beams are supported by the retaining walls of the canal embankments. The minimum height of the beams in the middle of the span, equal to 0.7 m, is determined by the dimensions of the heating pipes located under the roof structure. The cross braces are reverse half-frames, the crossbars of which carry the longitudinal middle beam of an I-section. The top of the span is covered with reinforced concrete prefabricated slabs. The roadway of the bridge is covered with asphalt concrete. The length of the bridge is 19.66 m; width - 3 m; design span - 19.5 m; the distance between the axes of the main beams is 2.39 m.

The decor of the bridge is not original, but it is varied and has high artistic qualities. The decorations are made in the style of decorative elements of bridges built in the first half of the 19th century. The railing is artistic cast iron, on abutments it is completed with granite pedestals with metal floor lamps with lanterns stylized in Russian classicism (very similar floor lamps on the Green Bridge over the Moika). They were so well styled that three of them were stolen in 1993, probably to be sold as antiques. In 1996, the “Venetian” lanterns and railing were restored.

Sections of the bridge railing are made of vertical round rods with peculiar capitals in the form of opening buds and decorated with cast-iron oval posts with applied elements: round shields with crossed stylized swords, longitudinal peaks with acacia branches strung on them. The shields are decorated with Soviet five-pointed stars, without which not a single decoration of that time could do! In terms of composition, character and content, the bridge fencing is in many ways close to classical designs, although they were made in the artistic manner of the mid-20th century.

The facade sides of the main load-bearing beams are also decorated in the same way as was customary in the era of classicism, but by different means. Instead of sculptural ornamentation of an animal or plant nature, the architect resorted to dividing the field of beams along curved arcs into three stripes, reminiscent of the division of the entablature of classical buildings into an architrave, frieze and cornice. The upper and lower stripes are decorated with various architectural details.

The Italian Bridge fits very organically into the surrounding urban environment, and this is probably why the Italian Bridge was chosen for filming an episode of the film “The Incredible Adventures of Italians in Russia”: during the excavations, statues of lions were allegedly destroyed, which in fact were never near the Italian Bridge.

The Italian Bridge is always bustling with life: street musicians and artists, beggars and just tourists rush to take pictures of themselves against the backdrop of a beautiful view of the cathedral.

The bridge is cultural heritage Russian Federation, object No. 7802241000.

Address: St. Petersburg, Griboyedov Canal embankment, 11.
The nearest metro station (300 m) is Nevsky Prospekt, exit to the Griboyedov Canal.

The Italian Bridge spans the Griboedov Canal at the Italianskaya Street alignment, below Novo-Konyushenny and above the Kazansky Bridge. This is a single-span pedestrian bridge with a length along the rear edges of the abutments of 22.5 meters and a width of 3 meters.

The span structure of the crossing is metal beam, the abutments are the walls of the embankment of the Griboyedov Canal. The top of the span is covered with reinforced concrete slabs. The heating pipes are hidden under the bridge structure.

The bridge is decorated according to drawings depicting St. Petersburg crossings of the classical era. Artistically cast iron railings end on the abutments with granite pedestals. The crossing is decorated with 4 floor lamps with octagonal openwork lanterns. The facades and bases of the floor lamps are decorated with cast iron reliefs.

History of the bridge

Italianskaya Street got its name from the Italian Palace, built on the left bank of the Fontanka River in the 1730s (now one of the buildings of the Russian national library). The street ran from the Fontanka embankment to the Catherine Canal embankment and at the end of the 19th century was called Bolshaya Italianskaya.

In 1896, a young railway engineer, Leonid Kolpitsyn, proposed building a pedestrian bridge across the Catherine Canal at the site of Italianskaya Street. The proposal did not find support from the city authorities, and the engineer built the crossing at his own expense.

It was an elegant single-span “throw” bridge, the abutments of which were the granite walls of the embankment. The length of the span was 19.7 meters.

The bridge was raised above the embankment level by 1.4 meters for convenient passage of ships and was equipped with staircases on both sides leading to the embankment. When paving the bridge deck, a new material for that time was used - xylolite slabs.

The construction of the bridge cost L.N. Kolpitsyn in 3500 rubles. City officials expressed gratitude to the engineer, but refused to reimburse construction costs. Also, the authorities did not support his idea to charge a fee for crossing the bridge, 1 kopeck per person. In the end, Kolpitsyn simply donated the bridge to the city.

In 1902, xylolite slabs were replaced with plank flooring; the reconstruction was carried out according to the design of K.V. Baldi. In 1911-1912, the bridge was completely rebuilt according to the design of engineer K.V. Efimieva. The new bridge was made of cobblestones, a beam-braced system on pile supports.

A new renovation of the crossing was carried out in 1937 to lay two heating pipes. The bridge was rebuilt in wood, preserving the original structure. According to documents from 1946, the length of the Italian Bridge was 18.4 meters, width - 2.07 meters; the wrought iron railings had a simple design.

The modern Italian Bridge was built in 1955 according to the design of the Lengiproinzhproekt Institute, its authors are engineer A.D. Gutzeit and architect V.S. Vasilkovsky. This time, the embankment walls again became the supports, and the crossing surface was asphalted. The bridge was decorated in the style of the second half of the 19th century century. Floor lamps with antique-style lanterns were installed on four supports.

In 1969, work was carried out to gild the architectural details of the bridge, and in 1996, the restoration of the “Venetian” lanterns and railings took place.

Additional Information

From the Italian Bridge there is a view of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ, known as the Savior on Spilled Blood. It was erected at the end of the 19th century in memory of the Emperor-Liberator Alexander II. On March 1, 1881, here, on the embankment of the Catherine Canal, an attempt was made on the life of the emperor, who died from his wounds. Hence the name of the cathedral, which implies the shed of royal blood.

At the Italian Bridge in good weather Street musicians often play, which makes this place in the city extremely attractive for relaxing walks.

We have prepared our selection of the most beautiful and unusual bridges Italy, each of which is worth walking through at least once in your life, holding the hand of a loved one.

10. BRIDGE OF TIBERIUS. RIMINI

One of the oldest bridges on the territory of modern Italy, it was built back in the twenties of our era. Of course, the structure cannot boast of unusual decor, but from the point of view of engineering, the bridge is unique: just imagine how much it has gone through during its almost 2000-year history.

By the way, during the Second World War, the Germans rolled military guns across the bridge, but even this did not damage the structure; in a word, the Tiberius Bridge is not only one of the oldest, but also one of the strongest bridges in Italy.

9. BRIDGE OF SIGHS. VENICE

The romantic name of the bridge actually has a sinister meaning. Although in Venice there is beautiful legend that the Bridge of Sighs got its name because in ancient times, under its shade, followers of Casanova made love in gondolas, in fact, everything was not so.

This bridge connects the Doge's Palace with the local prison, and sad sighs were issued not by lovers giving in to caresses, but by convicts who went across the bridge to their prison cells and cast their last sad glance at the beautiful Venice. However, today the Bridge of Sighs, built in 1602 by Antonio Conti, is a beautiful example of Baroque architecture.

8. DEVIL'S BRIDGE. CIVIDALE DEL FRIULI

The massive bridge was erected on the steep banks of the stormy Natisone River; wide and strong, it hangs like a silent guard over the ever-turbulent water.

According to legend, a powerful stone bridge was built by Lucifer himself, to whom the inhabitants promised in exchange for the construction of the structure the soul of the one who would be the first to climb the bridge.

In the photo: general view of the Devil's Bridge

When the bridge was built, an animal was released onto it, and as a result the devil was left with nothing.

7. PONTE VECCHIO. BASSANO DEL GRAPPA

Small town in Northern Italy Bassano del Grappa is famous not only for the production of grappa, the cultivation of white asparagus and the creation of amazingly beautiful ceramics, but also for its bridge, called Ponte Vecchio, which means “old bridge”.

The bridge is half wooden, half stone; the supports, roof and decorative elements of the structure are made of wood. Another nice thing is that in the evenings Ponte Vecchio is the main party spot in the town.

In the photo: view from Ponte Vecchio, Bassano del Grappa

On both sides of the bridge there are small bars where Bassano residents buy spritz and the local aperitif “mezzo e mezzo”, consisting of 50% red liqueur and another 50% herbal liqueur, and then diluted with water. Drinking on the bridge is not forbidden, but encouraged, which is why young people hang out here for hours, admiring the captivating views from the Ponte Vecchio.

6. GAIOLA BRIDGE IN THE GULF OF NEOPOLITAN

Gaiola are two small islands, which are rocks protruding from the waters of the Gulf of Neopalitana. They are connected by an unusual suspended stone bridge, which is held in the air, seemingly contrary to the laws of physics.

On one island there is a villa, the second is uninhabited. However, the villa has also been empty for many years, as local residents We are sure that a curse hangs over her: all the owners of the villa have died or died terrible death, or went broke, or went crazy. Although the bridge is considered a strong structure, only the most desperate travelers dare to walk across it.

5. ACADEMY BRIDGE. VENICE

The only wooden bridge in Venice, created by the architect Miozzi in 1934, was not liked by the city's residents at first. It was considered too modern and not in keeping with the appearance of the city on the water.

However, the Academy Bridge was conceived as a kind of temporary solution; it was built to replace the steel bridge located on this site, and the Venetians sincerely believed that the unusual wooden structure would soon be replaced with the usual stone bridge. But as the years passed, people got used to the bridge, and now Ponte dell’Accademia is another symbol of the city. The only thing is that the wooden structure spanning the Grand Canal can hardly withstand the crowds of tourists (especially during the carnival).

In 1985, the first Academy bridge had already been demolished and replaced with a new one, although it looked new bridge exactly like its predecessor, and even now the Venetian authorities are seriously thinking about the next reconstruction of the building.

4. PONTE PIETRA. VERONA

Stone arch bridge, built in the first century BC by Roman architects and in ancient times bore the name Marmoreus.

From Ponte Pietra one of the best views on the stormy Adige River, the hills and villas of Verona, and the bridge itself looks very cinematic in the photographs. In 1945, during the retreat German army Ponte Pietra was completely destroyed, but after the war it was restored.

Nowadays tourists like to take pictures on the bridge and kiss like couples.

3. PONTE VECCHIO. FLORENCE

Ponte Vecchiu, that is, “the old bridge”, in this case the name is one hundred percent telling. This is truly the oldest bridge in Florence; it was built back in 1345 according to the design of the architect Neri di Fioravanti.

The houses built on the bridge originally housed butchers' shops, but for more than five centuries, jewelers have survived from here as butchers. Nowadays, in the shops on Ponte Vecchia you can increasingly find not works of jewelry, but gold crafts of a tourist nature, but the appearance of the bridge is worthy of everyone’s attention. However, it is better to admire the Ponte Vecchio from the shore; there is always a crowd on the bridge itself.

2. RIALTO BRIDGE. VENICE

The Rialto is not even a bridge, it is the same symbol of Venice as the horses on the Cathedral of San Marco, the Doge's Palace and the ferocious winged lion. The bridge in the form of an arch, made of light stone, was built in the sixteenth century according to the design of the architect Antonio de Ponte (by the way, his surname means “bridge” in Italian) and has survived to this day completely unchanged.

On Rialto, as in the times of the gallant age, there are shops selling everything under the sun, and near the bridge there are bars, which locals like to drop into to have a glass of spritz during the evening aperitif.

The Rialto Bridge is mentioned in Shakespeare's play The Merchant of Venice and appears in Casanova's memoirs. The greatest Venetian adventurer wrote that noble gentlemen liked to come to the market near Rialto in the mornings to show off their shabby appearance, how wildly and obscenely they had spent the previous night.

1. BRIDGE OF THE HOLY ANGEL. ROME

Built back in 139 AD by the Roman Emperor Hadrian, the bridge over the Tiber River became famous in the fifteenth century after a sad incident: the structure could not withstand the crowd of pilgrims heading to St. Peter's Basilica, and the bridge railings collapsed.

After this, the triumphal arch was removed from the bridge, and its railings were decorated with statues of angels, which even today silently gaze at tourists who come to the eternal city. By the way, the idea of ​​decorating the bridge with statues was adopted by the architects of Prague from Rome; the famous Charles Bridge was created exactly “based on” the Bridge of the Holy Angel.

This place has a double reputation: on the one hand, it was a place of execution of criminals, on the other, the bridge is so beautiful that, having stepped on it, you instantly forget about the sad past of this place.

The only thing that can ruin the impression is the black immigrants selling fake Gucci and Louis Vuitton bags here, but if you focus your attention not on them, but on the sculptures of angels, then the Sant’Angelo Bridge can rightfully be called the most beautiful in Italy.

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Yulia Malkova- Yulia Malkova - founder of the website project. In the past, he was the editor-in-chief of the elle.ru Internet project and the editor-in-chief of the cosmo.ru website. I talk about travel for my own pleasure and the pleasure of my readers. If you are a representative of hotels or a tourism office, but we do not know each other, you can contact me by email: [email protected]