Perhaps not everyone knows that the symbol of Bassano del Grappa, the famous Ponte Vecchio, is the result of Andrea Palladio's inexhaustible ingenuity.
The Ponte degli Alpini, as it is also known today, crosses the river Brenta and is a monument dedicated in the 1920s to the hundreds of fallen soldiers of the First World War who saw Bassano and the surrounding territories the scene of the bloodiest clashes of the conflict.
Due to a flood in 1567, the previous bridge was swept away, and the task of reconstruction was immediately given to Palladio. He initially tried to promote a design for a stone bridge in the Roman style, but it was not approved. Palladio had to rebuild the bridge in the same way as before, but he managed to add a few touches of genius, which made the bridge very strong and functional, without losing its majestic scenic impact, with its wooden deck and Tuscan columns.
The bridge was unlucky because first a flood and then a fire destroyed it, but each time it was rebuilt with more enthusiasm than before on the same Palladian project. After all, it was the symbol of the city and Palladio's legacy had to be preserved at all costs.
The same pylons saw Italian troops run across during the First World War, the sound of their boot heels on the paving stones.
Even today the bridge placidly watches the waters below run, green and gurgling, and like a wise old man welcomes travellers into the city. If only those pillars could speak, how much they would have to tell: stories of destruction, pain and blood, followed by rebirth and hope. An example for all to keep in their memory, the Ponte di Bassano, where memory and future join hands, as the famous song recites.