| San Francesco di Paola Bridge | |
| Coordinates: | 39.2984°N 16.2603°W |
| Crosses: | River Crati |
| Locale: | Cosenza, Italy |
| Named For: | St. Francis of Paola |
| Design: | Cable-stayed bridge |
| Length: | 140m (460feet) |
| Height: | 104m (341feet) |
| Designer: | Santiago Calatrava |
| Begin: | 2017 |
| Complete: | 2018 |
| Cost: | €20 million |
| Opening: | --> |
| Inaugurated: | 26 January 2018 |
The San Francesco di Paola Bridge or Cosenza Bridge is a road bridge in Cosenza, Italy, designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava.
The bridge spans the River Crati to connect two neighbourhoods in Cosenza, Contrada Gergeri and Via Reggio Calabria.[1] It was first planned in 2004 and was built as part of a regional regeneration programme at a cost of approximately €20 million, paid for in part by the government programme, which was originally intended to build housing.[2] It was inaugurated on 26 January 2018.[3] [4]
Calatrava's design is a cable-stayed bridge, reportedly the tallest in Europe,[3] [4] with a single pylon inclined at a 52° angle, reminiscent of a harp,[1] [2] which rises 82m (269feet) above the roadbed and points towards the centre of the city.[5] It is built of steel, concrete, and stone, and provides for future construction of a steel and glass enclosure to shelter pedestrians.[1] [5] The lighting design by Zumtobel Group uses LEDs.[5]