Chapter VII. Of the Bridge of Cismone

THE Cismone is a river, which falling from the mountains that divide Italy from Germany, runs into the Brenta, a little above Bassano. And because it is very rapid, and that by it the mountaineers send great quantities of timber down, a resolution was taken to make a bridge there, without fixing any posts in the water, as the beams that were fixed there were shaken and carried away by the violence of the current, and by the shock of the stones and trees that by it are continually carried down: wherefore Count Giacomo Ancarano, who owns the bridge, was under the necessity of renewing it every year.

Tug invention of this bridge is, in my ‘opinion, very worthy of attention, as it may serve upon all occasions, in which the said difficulties shall occur; and because that bridges thus made, are strong, beautiful, and commodious: strong, because all their parts mutually support each other; beautiful, because the texture of the timbers is very agreeable and commodious, being even and in the same line with the remaining part of the street, The river where this bridge was ordered, is one hundred foot wide; the breadth is divided into six equal parts; and at the end of each part (excepting at the banks, which are strengthened with pilasters of stone) the beams are placed, that form the bed, and breadth of the bridge; upon which, a little space being left at their ends, were placed other beams lengthways, which form the sides. Over these, directly upon the first, the colonelli on each side were disposed (so we call those beams vulgarly, that in such works are placed directly upright.) These colonelli are bound with the beams (which, as was said, formed the breadth of the bridge) with irons which we call cramps, passing through a hole, made for that purpose in the heads of the said beams, in that part which advances beyond the beams that form the sides.

These cramps, because they are in the upper part along the said upright and plain colonelli, are preforated in several places. And in the under part, near the said thick beams, by one hole only, sufficiently large, they were driven into the colonello, and fastened after wards underneath with iron bolts, made for that purpose; they therefore made the whole work to be in a manner united. The beams that form the breadth, and those of the sides being as it were, of one piece with the colonelli, support the beams that form the breadth of the bridges; and those are also supported hy the arms that go from one colonello to the others, whereby all the parts are supported the one by the other; and their nature is such, that the greater the weight upon the bridge, so much the more they bind together, and increase the strength of the work. All the said arms, and the other beams that form the texture of the bridge, are but one foot broad, and but three quarters thick, But those beams that form the bed of the bridge, that is, those that are laid long ways, are a great deal (smaller, G, Are the arms, which bearing contrary to each other, support the whole work, Y, Are the beams that form the breadth, and advance beyond the sides, near which

the holes are made for the cramps.) - S CHAP