Does anyone know the history of Palladio's bridge in Bassano del Grappa, Italy?

Question

I'm looking for the history of this bridge. I know it was destroyed and rebuilt several times, but don't know the exact dates and the details.

Answer 1

The Palladio's Bridge in Bassano del Grappa is also called Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge) or Ponte degli Alpini (Alpini's bridge) and has been built,destroyed and rebuilt several times.
First notes date back to the 1209 when it was firstly build ,to cross the river Brenta, by Gerardo Maurisio. In the year 1569 Andrea Palladio made the project for the new wooden Brige,probably basing itself on a previous drawing dated 1557.
In the year 1748 a flooding of the river destroyed the Palladian work of art and the bridge was rebuilt (by respecting the original architecture) after 3 years by Bartolomeo Ferracina.The actual bridge has been once again rebuilt lately during the 2nd World War by the Italian troops (Alpini hence its alternative name Ponte degli Alpini). Then the actual bridge is not the one built by Palladio but it's a copy of it.
For yr additional reference
http://www.answers.com/topic/bassano-del-grappa

Answer 2

In October 1567 the vigorous flood waters of the river Brenta swept away the historic bridge, a roofed timber structure on piles, which had formed the primary communicating route between Bassano and Vicenza. Palladio, who was involved in its reconstruction process right from the months immediately after the collapse, initially proposed a bridge completely different from its precedent, with three arches in stone according to the model of ancient Roman bridges. However, the city council rejected the project and prohibited the architect from departing too much from the scheme of the traditional structure. In the summer of 1569, therefore, Palladio presented his definitive project for a bridge which repeated the preceding structure in all its essentials, even if radically innovative in terms of its technical and statical solutions, as well as of great visual impact. The sole appeal to a purely architectural language are the Tuscan columns used to support the architrave that bears the roof. Confirming the technological efficiency of Palladio’s structure is the fact that the bridge stood fast for almost another two centuries. It was only reconstructed according to Palladio’s design after another destructive flood in 1748, and the same would occur after its most recent demolition by German troops during World War II.

Taken from: http://www.cisapalladio.org/Veneto/scheda.php?sezione=4&architettura=27&lingua=e

Also take a look at:

http://www.comune.bassano.vi.it/citta/storia/history.htm

Ciao