Our project, created by Marta, Ingrid, Irene and Rubén, explores the connection between our local architectural heritage and the challenges brought by the recent DANA in our region. From the very beginning, we wanted to focus on something meaningful and relevant, not only for us but also for our whole community. In our opinion, heritage is much more than monuments or old buildings. It is something that helps us understand who we are, where we come from, and how our community has adapted to its environment throughout history. 

When we started working on this project, we discussed the guiding questions that our teacher gave us. As far as we know, European heritage is extremely diverse, but it always tells a story about people, creativity and resilience. This made us think about what story we could find in our own town. At first, we thought about more traditional heritage, like churches or historical houses. However, after analysing our surroundings, we realised that the most interesting element for us was something we often take for granted: our bridges. 

Bridges may look simple, but they are full of meaning. They connect people, places and histories. They’re also an example of how past generations used engineering and architecture to solve real-life problems. From our point of view, this type of heritage is just as important as museums or famous buildings, even if it is part of our daily routine. To some extent, the bridge in our town represents both the past and the present, because it continues to be useful and necessary. 

This became even more obvious when the DANA—a sudden and intense weather phenomenon—hit our region. A DANA can cause heavy rain, strong winds and flooding. These events are becoming more common due to climate change, and they can be very dangerous. During the last DANA, many neighbours were worried, and some streets were completely flooded. However, something surprising happened: the main bridge of our town resisted the strong currents and continued to function normally. 

While we were preparing our video, we researched how the bridge was built. It was interesting to learn that its design, including its height and the arches under it, allows water to flow without destroying the structure. It made us realise that people in the past were not only building something practical, but something strong and long-lasting. This shows how heritage is not only about beauty, but also about knowledge and experience. Thanks to this bridge, emergency services were able to cross the river, and many people could reach safe areas. In other words, our heritage literally helped protect our community. 

Another thing that caught our attention was that bridges like ours are common in many European countries. Even though each region has its own style, many old bridges share similar features because they were built using traditional knowledge that was passed from generation to generation. This made us feel connected to a larger European story. It reminded us that, even if we live in a small town, we are part of something bigger. Heritage, to some extent, unites us and shows that we have more in common than we sometimes think. 

While recording the video, we also discovered how important teamwork is. Each of us contributed with ideas, scripts and filming. It was interesting to see how we all had different points of view, but in the end, we created something meaningful together. In our opinion, this made the project even more special. We also tried to use our own voices and creativity, as the contest requires, and we feel proud of the final result. 

In conclusion, this project helped us understand that heritage is not only a reminder of the past. It is something that still plays an active role in our lives today. Our bridge is part of our cultural identity, but it is also a tool that protects us when nature becomes dangerous. As far as we are concerned, this is one of the most important lessons we learned: heritage is alive, and it is our responsibility to preserve it for future generations. By taking care of it, we take care of ourselves and our community. We hope our video helps others appreciate their own heritage in the same way.