An American in Florence, . . .

. . . Bernard Berenson, advocated the reconstruction of the Ponte Santa Trinita to be “as it was, where it was” after the Germans destroyed the bridge during their retreat in 1944.  Berenson, an art historian, who lived and worked in Florence, gathered donations to pay for the reconstruction and insisted that the original materials be used, as opposed to cheaper concrete that the Italian State wanted to employ. The final reconstruction of the Ponte Santa Trinita was finished in 1958. Upon completion, it stood as it did prior to the war, with much of the original pieces recovered from the river, including the four statues of the season. For his noble efforts and persistence, Berenson was awarded honorary citizenship. (source:  www.theflorencenewspaper.com)