The planned bridge across the Strait of Messina that Nino talks about on the ferry never materialized. The Romans talked about building one made of boats and barrels but never did. Charlemagne talked about it but never did. The Normans talked about it but never did. Proposals for a bridge or a tunnel to span the strait were made several times in the 18th and 19th centuries, but were never implemented. In 1953, nine years before this movie was made, the plan that Nino refers to was a bridge that would have been the longest suspension bridge in the world. The project was finally cancelled in 2006, only to be revived in 2009 and cancelled again in 2013.
They are still talking about building a bridge across the Strait of Messina more than 55 years after this picture was made.
This film is part of the Criterion Collection, spine #424.