During the construction works (which began in 1960 and involved over 12,000 people), on the occasion of the 439th anniversary of the discovery of the Bay, on April 17th, 1963, three stones were taken from the foundations of the Castle of Verrazzano and placed at the entrance of the bridge’s viaduct together with other stones taken from the cliffs of Dieppe (France), from where the navigator set sail in 1524.

On the same day, three stones coming from the place where the colossal towers of the New York bridge stand were affixed to the façade of the tower of the Castle of Verrazzano. This took place in Verrazzano in the presence of the Mayor of Florence, Giorgio La Pira, and the President of the Council of Ministers, Amintore Fanfani.