Piantorre’s bridge and the conservation of the first concrete infrastructures in Italy
The professional opportunity of the author to deal with a small old bridge in an italian area on the border
with France, gave rise to a reflection on the subject. The small bridge of Piantorre, constructed in 1913,
is one of the first built in Italy with the concrete technique of the French François Hennebique, thanks to
the activity of the engineer Giovanni Antonio Porcheddu’s Society, who built many of the most important
Italian structures with this technique in these years, such as the Risorgimento bridge in Rome and the new
bell tower of San Marco in Venice.
Often the ancient infrastructures can appear obsolete and the theme of their demolition or transformation
arises: regardless of the issues related to the safety of people, which must always be guaranteed, it will be
essential to study all possible alternatives and carefully document the state of affairs.
