On the Traces of Vincenzo Scamozzi's Unrealized Projects for Rialto Bridge

The purpose of this study is to bring to light two design ideas of Vincenzo Scamozzi (1548–1616), developed by the architect for the Rialto bridge in Venice. The work aims at the virtual reconstruction of the design solutions for a three-arch and single-arch bridge, which were presented during the competition held in the years 1587 and 1588. The research is based on the investigation of historical documentation of written and graphic sources of the era and on the critical considerations that emerged from the comparison of the documents, also paying attention to the research of accredited scholars who have dealt with the topic over the years. The results of this investigation have been translated into 3D digital models, which make it possible to provide greater awareness of the competition projects, until now relegated to mere two-dimensional representations, at a visual level and therefore of the perception of the building concerning the project created by Antonio Da Ponte (1512–1597). Furthermore, digital reconstructions allow us to verify on an urban scale the relationships that would have arisen with the immediate surrounding city fabric and the reasons that presumably led these projects to their failure to be realized.