Pope Francis on Tuesday wrote to Genoese citizens affected by the August 14 2018 collapse of the northern Italian city's Morandi Bridge which killed 43 people.
In the letter, published in Turin-based newspaper La Stampa, Francis spoke of a "wound to the heart of your city, a tragedy for those who lost their loved ones, a drama for the injured, and a shocking event for those who were forced to leave their homes and live as displaced persons".
The pope said he had "not forgotten" the people of Genoa.
"I have prayed and I still pray for the victims, for their relatives, for the displaced persons, for all of you, for Genoa," he said.
Demolition of the remainder of the Morandi Bridge was completed Monday ahead of the construction of a new bridge designed by starchitect Renzo Piano, a Genoa native.
The project is expected to take about a year and a half to be completed.
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