Interesting facts

Since 1992, a fourth bridge in Bratislava has connected the banks of the Danube. At 764 meters, it is the longest bridge to date in the Slovak capital. It was named after Enea Lanfranconi, who emigrated from Lombardy (Italy) to Bratislava in 1867. In the late 19th century this hydrologist produced plans for regulating the Danube downstream from its confluence with the Morava. He was inspired by the European idea of connecting the Danube with the Rhine, Oder, and Elbe to make a network of waterways. The heavy materials needed for the regulation of the Danube came from stone quarries in Devín. Reliance on stone building materials dates back to a leading figure who worked for the Habsburgs at the time of the railroad construction. A long time ago, Lanfranconi’s ancestors, the Romans, were famous for using stone for building bridges. In the 19th century steel was the material of choice, but in the 20th century bridges were built increasingly out of reinforced concrete. This newly developed combination of steel and concrete began to predominate during the reconstruction period after World War II. This bridge-building technology is more cost-effective and allows for greater spans. The Lafranconi Bridge in Bratislava was the first reinforced concrete bridge in Slovakia. With the christening of the bridge, Enea Lanfranconi was recognized as a social and cultural bridge builder in the history of Bratislava.