Elenco Swing Bridge - Manual (Page 8)

6
The Bridges of Leonardo da Vinci
I have plans for bridges, very light and strong and suitable for carrying very easily,
with which to pursue and at times defeat the enemy; and others solid and
indestructible by fire or assault, easy and convenient to carry and place in position.
And plans for burning and destroying those of the enemy.
Bridges have always been important to
societies as a means of crossing waterways
and offering safe reliable transportation to
benefit trade. The bridges designed by
Leonardo Da Vinci were designed to be
constructed easily, using readily available
local materials. This allowed armies to
construct them on-site and allow military
units to surprise enemies by quickly crossing a river or moat unexpectedly.
Da Vinci had a lot of ideas for designs that prompted him to write to the Duke
of Milan:
Temporary Rotating Bridge (c. 1485-1490)