Ponte Umberto I, Turin
Ponte Umberto I in Turin is one of the most important and biggest bridges in the city. It is also one of the two bridges linking administrative and historical centres of the city with suburbs across the Po river.
History of Ponte Umberto I
In the 18th century, there was a ferry crossing on the site of the modern bridge. In 1840, the banks of the river were connected by a fairly elegant structure, an iron suspension bridge of Maria Theresa. But such a design was not very reliable and the first security problems appeared at the end of the 19th century. In 1879, the bridge was opened only to pedestrians. An active discussion over new projects began. Finally, the architects from Florence, Vincenzo Micheli and Enrico Ristori, were given the green light to their project. The construction continued from 1903 to 1907.
An old name was to remain, but after the death of King Umberto I in 1900, it was decided that the bridge would bear the name of the monarch. The king was mostly famous for successful prevention of natural disasters and diseases by allocating his own money for it as well as for strict conservative rule. The bridge was opened in 1907 in the presence of King Vittorio Emanuele III. After its simplicity was criticized, 4 sculptural compositions were created at the entrances to the bridge. Another official opening took place on the 20th of September, 1911.
Bridge's architecture
A typical bridge with a single arch was dismissed due to excessive complexity and a high cost of the construction. Consequently, a stone structure with 3 arches was built. The latter have a length of 30, 32 and 30 metres. The total length of the bridge is 124 metres. The width of the bridge is 23 metres due to the considerable dimension of the Corso Vittorio Emanuele II street. The two entrances are adorned with 4 sculptural groups by Luigi Contratti and Cesare Reduzzi:
- Pietà. A sculpture of a woman in a cloak that supports a bent person on her lap.
- Valore. A sculpture of a man at the moment of victory. In one hand he holds a sword, and in the other one a flag. At the feet of the warrior lies a defeated enemy.
- Art. This sculptural group features a woman that is placing a laurel wreath on the head of the sculptor who is completing his work.
- Industry. Another woman is holding a laurel branch over the head of a blacksmith, shaking his hand. At the man's feet are an anvil and a hammer.
These sculptures do not only decorate the bridge but also complement organically the architecture on the opposite banks.
How to get there
Ponte Umberto I is located near the Valentino Park, and connects the street of Corso Vittorio Emanuele II in the city centre with the street of Corso Fiume in the Borgo Crimea area. Within the boundaries of the latter there is the Museo Nazionale della Montagna that is worth a visit. On the west bank of the river there is a public transport stop, Della Rocca. It can be reached by trams № 7, 9, 16CS, 16CD, and the buses № 24, 33, 52, 93.
