Monday, January 8, 2018

VICTOR EMMANUEL II BRIDGE

PONTE VITTORIO EMANUELE II
Completed in 1911 for the fiftieth anniversary of the unification of Italy, even though the project by Ennio De Rossi dates to 1886
It is 108.75 m (357 feet) long
FOUR BRONZE WINGED VICTORIES with in their hands objects of explicit symbolism:
Works of Elmo Palazzi (1871/1915), Luigi Casadio, Amleto Cataldi (1882/1930) e Francesco Pifferetti
FOUR SCULPTURAL GROUPS in travertine limestone:
From Corso Vittorio Emanuele II on the upstream side:
“Loyalty to the Statute. Following Novara, 1849” with flame of freedom by Giuseppe Romagnoli (1872/1966)
“The military bravery” by the Florentine Italo Griselli (1880/1958)
From Corso Vittorio Emanuele II on the downstream side:
The sculptures were placed on the bridge in 1912 and so the bridge had two inaugurations. The president of the jury was the sculptor Ettore Ferrari
It is interesting to note that the flame of freedom in the group of Fidelity to the Statute is protected with hands from the winds blowing from the direction of the Vatican, a clear anticlerical message
Another anti-clerical message is embodied by the Winged Victory closer to the Vatican that is confronting it with not so friendly an attitude
During dry periods of the river one can see, just below the downstream side of the bridge, the ancient ruins of NERO’S BRIDGE or TRIONFALE BRIDGE

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