Exactly sixty years after the ribbon-cutting of the current bridge of Civita di Bagnoregio, the inauguration of an exhibition celebrates a symbol of the tenacity of a community – the people of Civita – the skill and perseverance of a great intellectual of the 20th century, Bonaventura Tecchi, and the brilliance of Italian engineering.
On Friday, September 12, at 4:00 p.m., the exhibition “The Civita Bridge: 60 Years of an Icon” will open, promoted by the Municipality of Bagnoregio and organized by Casa Civita srl. It will be hosted inside the exhibition space of Palazzo Alemanni, right in the heart of the village.
A tribute, but above all an opportunity for reflection and rediscovery of a fundamental piece of the territory’s history. The meaning is well explained by the mayor of Bagnoregio, Luca Profili:
“Sixty years after the moment when our bridge changed the way of accessing Civita, we have decided to give something back to it. We want to thank it for its good service. Millions of people have crossed it, and this is incredible, considering that it leads to a tiny village with barely a dozen inhabitants.”
“We arrived at this exhibition through months of structured and complex work. The collection of material, but above all the use of storytelling, were the two crucial moments,” explains Francesco Bigiotti, sole administrator of Casa Civita.
“We started with a series of questions we wanted to answer: what is the history of this link between Civita and the Mercatello area? What are the names and faces of the men to whom we owe it? What do the projects and the handwriting of those who wrote so much to make it possible look like? And what stories of ruin and hope have taught us the lessons needed to keep it standing and preserve the beauty of Civita?”
The exhibition stems from a broad and precious collection of historical, archival, iconographic, and photographic documentation compiled by geologist Claudio Margottini. His long career includes roles as a UNESCO expert, university lecturer in Italy and China, member of the Geological Survey of Italy, and, most prestigiously, Scientific Attaché at the Italian Embassy in Egypt. As curator, Professor Margottini has provided not only his wealth of scientific knowledge but also the results of nearly fifty years of research and collection of materials.
In his words:
“This exhibition represents a milestone in my life. Although I have worked in many of the world’s most disadvantaged countries, I have always felt the need to keep alive the bond with my Orvieto-Viterbo roots and, therefore, with this land. Civita di Bagnoregio is not only a place of extraordinary relevance for Earth sciences, and thus linked to my cultural background, but also the community that welcomed me and in which I felt part of.”
