When a bridge collapses...

Abstract

This article uses a socio-pedagogical perspective to examine the issue of the collapse of the Morandi bridge in Genoa and the perceptions in its aftermath of inhabitants (mostly children) who were involved in the tragedy, concerning the rethinking of the space where it happened. The substantial difference between this and other, even recent events which have affected our country lies in its non-natural origin, in its specific physical limits with its distinct ground zero and in its surgical precision. Not only has it cut through the only main East-West highway serving the region but it has also, more profoundly, severed the main road and rail links between the North and the South. This has resulted in the complete seclusion of a significant part of Genoa and its outskirts. This essay consists of the reflections of a pedagogist living near the area of the collapse, which have been developed through the participating observation of the daily routine of the Certosa quarter and of a primary school there.