Il Ponte Verde is a historic bridge located at the beginning of the Canale di Ponterosso, in the heart of Trieste, and represents an important symbol of the city since the Asburgo period. Originally built in iron in 1858, the bridge takes its name from the green color with which its metal structure was painted.
Historical context and function
In the XIX century, under the Impero asburgico, Trieste experienced a period of great economic and infrastructural development, becoming one of the most important ports of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The Canale di Ponterosso was dug in 1754 to improve navigation and facilitate the access of boats inland.
Il Ponte Verde connected the banks along this canal, playing a crucial role both for pedestrian traffic and for tram and railway traffic, contributing to integrating the new communication and transport routes of the city in full commercial and industrial expansion.
Architecture and transformations
The bridge was built in iron according to the technical criteria of the time and originally was pivoting to allow the passage of sailing boats, essential in the port of Trieste.
In 1904, next to Il Ponte Verde, a second bridge was built, called Ponte Bianco or Ponte Nuovo, intended to carry the railway that connected the old port to the new one crossing the city Rive. Both bridges were painted with names derived from the original color of their structures.
Over the years, Il Ponte Verde has undergone several maintenance and strengthening interventions:
- In 1887 demolition works began and rumors report the installation of a temporary floating bridge dedicated to pedestrians during the works.
- In the engineering project of the new structure, developed by the Tecnico Triestino plant and signed by the engineer Arturo Vio, many beams were replaced and reinforced with overlapping sheets to ensure safety and resistance, while maintaining the structure capable of accommodating both a tram and the railway on very close tracks.
The first post-war period and subsequent modifications
With the advent of the 20th century and the new needs for traffic and port growth, the movable bridges were progressively replaced by fixed masonry structures. In 1950, Il Ponte Verde was replaced by a fixed bridge that unified the two original structures, Il Ponte Verde and the Ponte Bianco, creating a single passage. This modification allowed the passage of small boats, but limited the openings for sailing ships, marking a functional change linked to the evolution of the port and maritime traffic of Trieste after the difficulties of the first post-war period.
Curiosities
The denomination "Ponte Verde" is attested in the documents and correspondence of the period, although sometimes in the past reference was made generically to the "ponte nuovo". Furthermore, the context of the construction and maintenance of the canal and bridges is linked to an intertwining of stories of spies, economic and social intrigues that characterized the Asburgo Trieste of the XVIII and XIX centuries, as reported in the most recent historical studies.