Excerpt:
Bridging rivers, gorges, narrows, straits, and valleys always has played an important role in the history of human settlement. Since ancient times, bridges have been the most visible testimony of the noble craft of engineers. A bridge can be defined in many ways, but Andrea Palladio, the great 16th century Italian architect and engineer, hit on the essence of bridge building when he said "...bridges should befit the spirit of the community by exhibiting commodiousness, firmness, and delight." In more practical terms, he went on to explain that the way to avoid having the bridge carried away by the violence of water was to make the bridge without fixing any posts in the water. Since the beginning of time, the goal of bridge builders has been to create as wide a span as possible which is commodious, firm, and occasionally delightful. Spanning greater distances is a distinct measure of engineering prowess.
Annotation:
DeLony provides an extensive overview of the history of bridges, from ancient Indian vine bridges, to Roman stone structures, to the North American viaducts and suspension bridges of today. In doing so, the text-laden website focuses on "World Heritage bridges," those recognized by the World Heritage Committee for their unique and lasting contribution to architecture, technology, and society. Nearly all of the 18 topical sections, each arranged in rough chronological order and covering a different type of structure, contain at least one photo, many of them taken by DeLony himself. A list of possible World Heritage bridges and a sizeable bibliography are at the foot of the essay.