San Francesco di Paola Bridge, Cable-stayed bridge in Cosenza, Italy

The San Francesco di Paola Bridge is a cable-stayed road bridge over the Crati River in Cosenza, linking Contrada Gergeri with Via Reggio Calabria. Its single steel pylon leans at 52 degrees and rises 82 metres above the roadbed, carrying stays that fan out like a harp. The deck is 103 metres long and 24 metres wide, with four vehicle lanes and a central pedestrian walkway.

In 1999 mayor Giacomo Mancini placed the bridge in the Pru urban recovery programme for the Gergeri district. Eva Catizone approved the preliminary project in 2005 at 15 million euros, and Cimolai Spa began work on 10 October 2008. After ground contamination surveys caused delays, Mario Occhiuto unblocked the site and inaugurated the bridge on 26 January 2018, 18 years after the commission.

The bridge is named after Saint Francis of Paola, the Calabrian hermit who founded the Minims in the 15th century. The name ties the crossing to the order's homeland; the saint was born in Paola, on the Tyrrhenian coast south of Cosenza.

The deck carries four vehicle lanes, two in each direction, with the central section reserved for pedestrians and offering a view of Cosenza's historic centre. The pylon leans towards the city centre, so the bridge is seen best from the southeastern Gergeri side. A steel and glass shelter for pedestrians is planned but not yet built.

The pylon was lifted into place on 23 July 2017, an operation that finally unblocked a project begun in 1999 under mayor Giacomo Mancini. Calatrava compared the fan of steel stays radiating from the inclined mast to a giant harp. The central span of the roadway is reserved for pedestrians, with a view over the historic centre of Cosenza.